tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36124413153521798222018-02-19T01:50:54.697+13:00Local BodiesPersonal views on politics, education and the environment from a Deep South perspective. Dave Kennedybsprouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12428353657153292616noreply@blogger.comBlogger791125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3612441315352179822.post-69107640794173803192018-01-18T16:38:00.000+13:002018-01-19T14:19:11.569+13:00Climate Change Just Got Personal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tOBECXWAP_M/Wl_vGi71k5I/AAAAAAAAHEQ/pMiMbpskvWca0FtGEIBsTMvO3gFrCh5cACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3258.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1208" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tOBECXWAP_M/Wl_vGi71k5I/AAAAAAAAHEQ/pMiMbpskvWca0FtGEIBsTMvO3gFrCh5cACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_3258.jpg" width="241" /></a></div><br />Over ten years ago (2007) I organised a symposium on climate change to support a <a href="https://blog.greens.org.nz/2007/06/22/tune-into-the-greens-climate-defence-tour-on-tv/">Climate Change Tour </a>being conducted by the Green Co-leaders at the time, Jeanette Fitzsimons and Russel Norman. It was Norman who fronted at the Invercargill meeting and he was supported by his young staff member Gareth Hughes. We had over 40 attendees, including representatives from local councils and a scientist from NIWA, who also spoke. For many of those attending, the information they received was largely new to them.<br /><br />At that time the reality of climate change and its human causes were still being debated in homes around the country. Nothing substantial was really being done ten years ago, but the fifth Labour Government had passed the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_Change_Response_Act_2002">Climate Change Response Act </a>in 2002 to provide a legal framework for ratifying the Kyoto agreement and to meet obligations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. In 2008, just before the end of their term, the Labour Government established the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).<br /><br />When the National Government was elected later in 2008 there was an immediate change of direction. Many of <a href="http://hot-topic.co.nz/lip-service-nz-government-infested-with-climate-denial/">National's Ministers did not believe</a> in the human causes of climate change and the government dismantled the ETS to the extent that many major polluters actually began receiving a subsidy to pollute and were openly committing <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/climate-news/79031600/government-allowed-climate-fraud-to-reach-emission-reduction-targets--report">"climate fraud"</a>.&nbsp; The National Government also stepped up New Zealand's investment in fossil fuels and encouraging the oil and coal industries to establish new mines and drill sites.<br /><br />In 2013 <a href="https://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2013/03/nationals-fundamental-failing.html">the Government was still denying</a> that any action was needed to address and prepare for climate change despite a severe drought and scientists predicting more. Under National, New Zealand experienced a decade of inaction and denial and we became <a href="https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/331646/nz-seventh-worst-on-emissions-of-41-nations">the seventh worst in the developed world </a>for emissions per capita.<br /><br />My family has already experienced the reality of rising sea levels when our cottage in the Catlins had a metre of water flow through it in 2014. An off-shore storm and a tide higher than any in living memory did the damage and we expect more to come. While this damage was covered by insurance it is unlikely that a repeat event will be and the value of the property has diminished.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IFxqQfVMd9I/Wl_zLvIUibI/AAAAAAAAHEc/8r9pCkzTXggmOQEt54vbO5EehRbNGMVbACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_0639.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IFxqQfVMd9I/Wl_zLvIUibI/AAAAAAAAHEc/8r9pCkzTXggmOQEt54vbO5EehRbNGMVbACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_0639.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Invercargill usually expects around 1,150 mm of rain over a year, but in 2017 we received around 750mm, less than two thirds of a normal total. Last October Invercargill sweltered with a <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&amp;objectid=11938744">record breaking 25 degrees</a> and since then we have been averaging in the 20s. Over the past week temperatures have pushed the mercury in our gauges to over 32 degrees, <a href="https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/348068/invercargill-has-hottest-day-on-record-at-32-point-3-degreesc">the hottest ever recorded</a>&nbsp;for almost 100 years of data. The average high over the Summer months is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invercargill">normally only 18 degrees </a>and anything over 20 degrees is celebrated. We are currently celebrating the occasional day under 20.<br /><br />At 46 degrees latitude south, New Zealand's southern most city has regularly been experiencing similar temperatures to cities near the equator. When we were sizzling at 32 degrees, we equaled Cairns, were 2 degrees warmer than Jakarta and Suva and 6 above Nairobi. These cities are used to such temperatures and their ecosystems have adapted to it, it has been a severe shock to ours.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AjG72g-kAFA/WmE0oOzzSdI/AAAAAAAAHGQ/tNrSZPE9O6QYybd-afsAuZ6ntdrY-k9UwCEwYBhgL/s1600/eight_col_i1%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="185" data-original-width="297" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AjG72g-kAFA/WmE0oOzzSdI/AAAAAAAAHGQ/tNrSZPE9O6QYybd-afsAuZ6ntdrY-k9UwCEwYBhgL/s1600/eight_col_i1%2B2.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />Although many in the South have enjoyed the hottest and most prolonged Summer ever, I am witnessing an environmental collapse in my precious 1/4 acre.<br /><br />Despite all vents and doors being open, my little green house became a pressure cooker and the temperature gauge in it hit around 50 degrees causing my crop of grapes to brown and shrivel.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hln55dBzApo/WmAEOKp5bKI/AAAAAAAAHE0/qf_iHTsveHgXZmTLijYIG-ZC6HCRQF66ACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3257.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hln55dBzApo/WmAEOKp5bKI/AAAAAAAAHE0/qf_iHTsveHgXZmTLijYIG-ZC6HCRQF66ACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_3257.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RQpxmg68TJY/WmADp0lrxHI/AAAAAAAAHEs/UGLpS4sUihImD7pKJZlqh2VCad2I-wpJACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3138.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="544" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RQpxmg68TJY/WmADp0lrxHI/AAAAAAAAHEs/UGLpS4sUihImD7pKJZlqh2VCad2I-wpJACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_3138.jpg" width="108" /></a></div><br /><br />My lawn gave up its green some time ago and is browner than at any time in the twenty five years we have lived here. This may be common in Central Otago, but not Invercargill. We have only had 9mm of rain since the beginning of the year (we could expect 63mm on average).<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OftUS_0Q-zc/WmAFZgR9_cI/AAAAAAAAHFA/8nZvAuium24XsxOmHKgfJecGZ3Gg0LU2ACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3265.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1311" data-original-width="1600" height="262" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OftUS_0Q-zc/WmAFZgR9_cI/AAAAAAAAHFA/8nZvAuium24XsxOmHKgfJecGZ3Gg0LU2ACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_3265.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />I have been hand watering the vegetable garden and our flower beds most evenings and use mulch to retain moisture. However, I was shocked when over the past few days many of our trees and bushes produced evidence of stress and water deprivation. The leaves on our apples trees suddenly turned brown.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VKM0MBlb8qY/WmAIwT7opDI/AAAAAAAAHFM/mbioOfOD2bQGuIrm4pnTlhZWPeSIVtlcACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3254.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VKM0MBlb8qY/WmAIwT7opDI/AAAAAAAAHFM/mbioOfOD2bQGuIrm4pnTlhZWPeSIVtlcACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_3254.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />Our magnolia, fruit bushes, native shrubs and trees and even our large silver birch have all been badly affected. Some may never recover.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o8uFlAqUW8s/WmALNshNEKI/AAAAAAAAHFg/6nLSx0l_d0Mj7eJlu5R18rtRfQ_DRvsuQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3251.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o8uFlAqUW8s/WmALNshNEKI/AAAAAAAAHFg/6nLSx0l_d0Mj7eJlu5R18rtRfQ_DRvsuQCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_3251.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rovdP4NYRyo/WmALNO3jDyI/AAAAAAAAHFY/5sqC5nfZ404XITElTHe7_PY9dDrfYqpLACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3252.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rovdP4NYRyo/WmALNO3jDyI/AAAAAAAAHFY/5sqC5nfZ404XITElTHe7_PY9dDrfYqpLACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_3252.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NmuIwfk96F4/WmALOzP-j1I/AAAAAAAAHFk/FwIMz15o1BsCZIE9O9tusSCwutFOYsy9gCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3253.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NmuIwfk96F4/WmALOzP-j1I/AAAAAAAAHFk/FwIMz15o1BsCZIE9O9tusSCwutFOYsy9gCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_3253.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-APplzsTfvok/WmALPhaTbpI/AAAAAAAAHFo/5_1PqxFrn2cBtpwL_XQWT9IE_IiGMRguwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3255.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-APplzsTfvok/WmALPhaTbpI/AAAAAAAAHFo/5_1PqxFrn2cBtpwL_XQWT9IE_IiGMRguwCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_3255.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EU8QRi4kTbU/WmALPmX6CsI/AAAAAAAAHFs/x0ehiPbGdQomzd_Me6GvPVcL0GNYgzUXACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3256.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EU8QRi4kTbU/WmALPmX6CsI/AAAAAAAAHFs/x0ehiPbGdQomzd_Me6GvPVcL0GNYgzUXACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_3256.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hpY79rZX-88/WmALQVOXmCI/AAAAAAAAHFw/dF4e9SMlKmE7xSKSCnLhP4PfpIyhZ9-xACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3262.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hpY79rZX-88/WmALQVOXmCI/AAAAAAAAHFw/dF4e9SMlKmE7xSKSCnLhP4PfpIyhZ9-xACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_3262.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PWiLLb974fI/WmALNdfDGtI/AAAAAAAAHF0/i91nFXTPrVg11iNu0ZXkasguA3AdMMOVwCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_3249.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PWiLLb974fI/WmALNdfDGtI/AAAAAAAAHF0/i91nFXTPrVg11iNu0ZXkasguA3AdMMOVwCEwYBhgL/s320/IMG_3249.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Obviously I am not a drought stricken farmer, whose economic survival is at stake, but this is the garden that I have invested 25 years into and have planted and nurtured many of these plants over that time. I have done my best to engender a greater awareness of climate change over many years and now that its effects have become super-personal I am very angry at those who I hold responsible.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I am angry with the previous government that ignored advice and promoted fossil fuel madness instead (encouraging mining and drilling and spending billions on new motorways). I am angry with Fonterra for pursuing a high greed, intensification agenda that wasn't sustainable and was largely responsible for the huge increase in methane emissions. I am also angry at all those in the US who refused to vote responsibly and did not consider our children and grandchildren's future when they elected&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/jan/17/us-unilateralism-makes-tacking-climate-change-harder-wef-warns">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;as President. The world's 2nd biggest polluting nation is now being led by an ignorant man who puts his country's coal industry before the future of the planet and my garden. I am angry that the oil and automotive industries, that are <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_companies_by_revenue">well represented amongst the richest companies </a>in the world (and have been <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_subsidies">globally subsidised</a> for many years), have spent millions in <a href="http://www.merchantsofdoubt.org/">questioning the science on climate change</a>. The oil industry influence on governments and public opinion has been the major factor behind the slow global response. The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_climate_change_science">science has been clear for decades</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gfsYQUaRiiw/WmATVvxqTLI/AAAAAAAAHGA/9gneI7D4qDQk3Z6f3Ek1xgwaeU3-sCy7QCLcBGAs/s1600/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gfsYQUaRiiw/WmATVvxqTLI/AAAAAAAAHGA/9gneI7D4qDQk3Z6f3Ek1xgwaeU3-sCy7QCLcBGAs/s1600/download.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Mostly <a href="http://www.dw.com/en/report-global-warming-to-surpass-dangerous-levels-despite-paris-accord/a-35927758">I am worried that we are too late</a> and the climate change juggernaut has built up too great a head of steam to turn around. James Shaw,<a href="https://thespinoff.co.nz/science/13-11-2017/our-rating-of-nzs-climate-target-not-good-enough-the-heat-is-now-on-james-shaw/"> the new Minister for Climate Change</a>, has a huge job ahead and we definitely don't want to tap into new fossil fuel resources in NZ when just using existing ones will help push us over the 2 degree danger zone.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>bsprouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12428353657153292616noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3612441315352179822.post-4209927837919995722017-12-05T16:18:00.001+13:002017-12-06T14:30:36.442+13:00Golriz Ghahraman and Post Truth<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FYP7fuEF4jw/WiX3mZ_rGWI/AAAAAAAAHEA/Wf3756QmHRE-Uq6GrasfS3zLH646DJNxACLcBGAs/s1600/1512158322677.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="619" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FYP7fuEF4jw/WiX3mZ_rGWI/AAAAAAAAHEA/Wf3756QmHRE-Uq6GrasfS3zLH646DJNxACLcBGAs/s320/1512158322677.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Golriz Ghahraman is another potential casualty of the <span id="goog_936310191"></span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-truth_politics">'Post Truth'</a><span id="goog_936310192"></span> era of mainstream media reporting and the dirty, ignorant politics behind it.<br /><br /><a href="http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.co.nz/2017/11/green-party-lesson-no-1-anticipating.html">Chris Trotter</a> and <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&amp;objectid=11952997">Bryce Edwards</a>&nbsp;have accused the Greens of being politically naive and being caught misrepresenting the facts. Similar accusations occurred after <a href="http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2017/08/paddy-gower-makes-stuff-up-again.html">Metiria Turei's speech</a> where she admitted minor benefit fraud to expose the realities of being a beneficiary. I feel the real issues and problems are being ignored and there is a good deal of hypocrisy at play.<br /><br />The political environment is a rough one and any politician needs a thick skin to survive, however, it is not a level playing field and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/bay-of-plenty-times/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503343&amp;objectid=11903920">Brian Gould</a> was able to explain this well when he compared the difference in treatment of the previous Prime Minister and Turei. Surely we should be more concerned about unethical, ill-informed reporting and deliberate misinformation coming from our mainstream news outlets. When comparing the treatment of Ghahraman to that of John Key when he was campaigning to be Prime Minister, his <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrPgK3bf9_4">inaccuracy regarding his Transrail shares</a> should have been career ending. The fact that <a href="http://www.newshub.co.nz/politics/national-candidate-defends-tobacco-job-2014052307">Chris Bishop worked for a company producing a product that kills people</a> also only got passing mention as a new MP, so clearly dodgy financial dealings and immoral profits don't deserve the same negative scrutiny.<br /><br />Ghahraman has ended up dealing with a media storm based on an incredibly ill-informed opinion piece and a willingness to amplify what has clearly become a campaign to take out junior politician with strong human justice credentials. What this really shows isn't the naivety of the Greens and Ghahraman but the naivety of many journalists who are are displaying their ignorance and lack of integrity by amplifying what is essentially a dirty, deliberate campaign.<br /><br />The attacks on Golriz Ghahraman are not just a random discovery of an inaccuracy (which is debatable anyway) in her CV, but a carefully constructed attempt to discredit her. <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/99305306/green-mp-golriz-ghahraman-pictured-smiling-in-photograph-alongside-rwandan-convicted-for-inciting-genocide">Phil Quin's damning opinion</a> piece started it all off and one has to conclude that he was either extremely ignorant of legal process or he deliberately wanted to do damage. The photo that has now been widely circulated (of Ghahraman standing with the accused) is very grainy and its actual context is surmised and emotionalised. Some effort was clearly needed to find it in the first place and Ghahraman obviously had no memory of it when first questioned about it. Quin's article and Twitter comment are actually libellous and <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/99390271/phil-quin-apologises-for-calling-green-mp-golriz-ghahraman-a-genocide-denier">his later apology</a>&nbsp;demonstrates some awareness of this, however, the original baseless revelation has developed a life of its own and the backtrack has been lost in the noise.<br /><br />New Zealand actually has a poor record regarding refugees and their human rights. We are <a href="http://www.actionstation.org.nz/refugees">ranked 90th in the world</a> per capita for accommodating refugees (116th when our relative wealth is included) and rarely make strong stands on human rights abuses that occur around us. We ignore the <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-03-02/pacific-nations-call-for-un-investigations-into-west-papua/8320194">atrocities in West Papua</a>&nbsp;(even though our pacific neighbours have voiced concerns), were prepared to ignore the <a href="https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2017/country-chapters/saudi-arabia">human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia</a> to further a trade deal and the previous government&nbsp;<a href="https://kiaoragaza.wordpress.com/2017/06/14/new-zealand-folds-and-apologises-to-israel/">felt compelled to apologise to Israel</a> for New Zealand's part in an international condemnation of its illegal occupations.<br /><br />When it comes to New Zealand's position regarding external conflicts and the status of refugees it seems that we follow the lead of the US and conservative western diplomacy.&nbsp; This approach resulted in genuine refugee <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmed_Zaoui">Ahmed Zaoui</a> suffering imprisonment in New Zealand before human rights advocacy and the support of Green MP Keith Locke saw robust scrutiny of his case and eventual freedom. <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/sunday-star-times/features/1393868/Locke-stock-but-no-smoking-barrel">Keith Locke</a> himself suffered a high level of persecution for promoting human rights issues and the release of his SIS file revealed that he had been spied on for most of his life, including when he was an MP.<br /><br />It stands to reason that there are many powerful groups who do not want to see an MP within the current government who could challenge the status quo around our refugee numbers and our approach to international abuses. To discredit Ghahraman and destroy her credibility early in her career would serve their interests well.<br /><br />We should be able to rely on our news media to take a considered and informed approach to reporting opinions that may be defamatory and that some attempt would be made to research the basis of the original accusations. The <a href="http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1711/S00347/nz-criminal-bar-association-defends-golriz-ghahraman.htm">Criminal Bar Association strongly defended Ghahraman</a> and other journalists have provided evidence that <a href="http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2017/11/five-times-golriz-ghahraman-was-open-about-her-defence-work.html">there was no attempt to hide her defence work</a>&nbsp;as claimed. However, we find the same high profile journalists and primetime media personalities who attacked Turei, enthusiastically repeating similar misinformation to attack Ghahraman. Mike Hosking <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&amp;objectid=11949307">flaunted his untucked ignorance</a> with his usual ideological bias and Duncan Garner again <a href="http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2017/11/golriz-gharaman-s-explanation-not-good-enough-duncan-garner.html">promotes his simplistic views of the world</a>.<br /><br />Chris Bishop has never hidden the fact that he once worked for a tobacco company but he would hardly be going around promoting the fact (as it does question his morality) and Ghahraman has also been open about her defence work in Rwanda. However, unlike Bishop, the fact that she doesn't always refer to it isn't because of the moral questions it would raise, but because of the general ignorance regarding the importance of the work, which has been clearly demonstrated since.<br /><br />Post truth reporting has become commonplace in our mainstream news media, if honest and decent politicians are going to survive the inevitable dirty politics (from an opposition supported by the powerful neoliberal forces) then we need a strong, independent public broadcaster. The loudest voices are currently fuelled by ideology and ignorance, we need a stronger voice in our Fourth Estate driven by ethics and evidence.<br /><br />bsprouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12428353657153292616noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3612441315352179822.post-88470077665037742622017-10-05T09:44:00.002+13:002017-10-12T14:32:34.317+13:00Coalition Talks Myth Busting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DC9S0PRST44/WdTA5VUsOgI/AAAAAAAAHC0/OuV8eeKszWECNRZXcMW6fEBtacn-cGUAwCLcBGAs/s1600/eight_col_new_comp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="720" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DC9S0PRST44/WdTA5VUsOgI/AAAAAAAAHC0/OuV8eeKszWECNRZXcMW6fEBtacn-cGUAwCLcBGAs/s320/eight_col_new_comp.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>As we all wait for the results of the special votes to determine the final numbers for the 2017 election, there is a good deal of noise coming from media and political commentators. Much of the commentary is misleading, not based on fact or is just pure political spin.<br /><br />Sadly writers and publications that should know better are buying into fabricated myths about MMP and conservative, ill-informed views of how coalitions should be progressed. Even the editorial in the latest Listener encourages the continuation of First Past the Post (FPP) thinking.<br /><div><br /></div><div>I would like to respond to the nonsense.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>MMP IS FAILING</b></div><div><br /></div><div>The reason MMP was supported in the first place was to stop the unfair outcomes of the previous FPP system when a party could substantially lose the popular vote but, through electorate wins, capture large majorities.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>FPP created what was essentially a two party system, there was little diversity in parliament and many large and important communities were not represented. In 1993 (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_general_election,_1993">the last election under FPP</a>) 21 women were elected out of a possible 99 seats. In the same election the Alliance won almost 20% of the vote but only got 2 MPs (under proportional representation they would have been entitled to 19). National was able to govern alone with only 35% of the popular vote (50 MPs), while 65% of votes went to parties who were only able to muster 49 MPs in total. If MMP had been in operation National or Labour would have had to negotiate with Alliance to get them over 50%.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/97255443/has-mmp-had-its-run">Even when we have two dominant parties</a>,&nbsp;as in this latest election, at least the proportional outcomes more accurately reflect voting. Although we have lost many minor parties in the 2017 election we still have a situation where a coalition can carry the day. Good democratic process should take time to ensure stable governance and appropriate representation of the majority of voters. We should allow for solid negotiations to ensure the best possible workable agreements.</div><div><br /></div><div>MMP could be improved by lowering the threshold to 1% so that the Maori Party and The Opportunities Party (TOP) could have MPs (they jointly received around 80,000 votes). The "coat tailing" provision that allows parties that win an electorate seat to bring in more MPs even if their overall vote was beneath the threshold should also be removed. A number of recommendations came from the Electoral Commission along similar lines but <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/8674192/Governments-MMP-review-response-slammed">these were shelved by Judith Collins</a> and the National Government under dubious circumstances that reeked of self-interest.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div><b>THE NATIONAL PARTY HAS A MORAL RIGHT TO LEAD ANY COALITION</b></div><div><br /></div><div>This is clearly nonsense. Unless a party achieves more than 50% of voter support then any of the parties can form a coalition or agreement to provide <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confidence_and_supply">confidence and supply</a> that captures the required majority. 55.6% of voters did not support the National Party after special votes were counted.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>If morality is brought into any discussion about the right to rule then one could also talk about the morality of the National Party campaign. Much was made of the fact that the last nine years of National Governance has benefited New Zealand economically and yet there is ample evidence that any prosperity has not been fairly distributed. Public and <a href="https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2017/05/08/25357/kiwis-private-debts-put-the-country-at-risk">private debt have both increased dramatically</a> under National and <a href="http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/333086/nz-s-weak-productivity-in-oecd-s-sights">our productivity growth is low</a> compared to other developed countries.<br /><br />The National Party also <a href="http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2017/09/post-truth-politics-works-for-national.html">ran a negative "Post Truth" campaign</a> that was built around false facts or lies. Claiming&nbsp; that there was an $11.7 billion hole in Labour's budget was not supported by any independent economist. Labour was not going to increase taxes and the claimed threats to the farming sector from a future Labour/Green coalition were based on extreme scaremongering. National's moral prerogative to form a government, based on their election result, is actually very shaky indeed.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>A THREE PARTY COALITION WOULD BE UNSTABLE</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Again this is nonsense, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coalition_government">there is ample evidence</a> in NZ, Germany and elsewhere that more than two parties can work well together. Over the last three terms National has relied on three other parties for confidence and supply and to push through legislation.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>Labour, New Zealand First and the Green Party worked together under Helen Clark's Labour Government very well. While Winston Peters did rule out the Greens as a coalition partner the Green Party still worked with that Government and had leadership roles in select committees and in semi-cabinet positions (leading energy efficiency programmes, Buy Kiwi Made and Jeanette Fitzsimons chaired the select committee charged with shaping new local body legislation). This time the relationship between the Greens and New Zealand First has strengthened and the two parties worked together in areas such education and the manufacturing enquiry. The previous Green Party Chief of Staff was a past NZ First MP. Campaigning rhetoric needs to be regarded as what it is and for all their differences there is much greater policy alignment between the Greens and New Zealand First than either has with National.</div><div><br /></div><div>A coalition between the previous three opposition parties would have a three seat majority over National after special votes were accounted for, this is a stronger position than for the last National Government. Just before the election National had a one seat majority and relied on agreements between United Future, the Act Party and the Maori Party for votes and confidence and supply.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>THE GREEN PARTY SHOULD CONSIDER A COALITION WITH NATIONAL</b></div><div><br /></div><div>There have been numerous opinion pieces stating that <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&amp;objectid=11927950">the Greens should just become an environmental advocate</a> and be open to work with both National and Labour. This ignores the fact that the Green Party is part of a global network of around 85 Parties (<a href="https://www.globalgreens.org/globalcharter-english">Global Greens</a>) that has democratic governance and social justice included in their shared charter. No Green Party just advocates for environmental issues because it will need a holistic approach to solve the big problems that exist on planet Earth. Climate change will impact on the poor more than the wealthy and any attempts to address pollution will need to be socially responsible. The Green Party also has <a href="https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2017/09/24/49752/let-2020-be-the-year-of-the-povertyquake">the most progressive policies to address child poverty</a>.&nbsp; The <a href="http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/election-2017/340737/our-job-is-to-form-a-government-with-labour">"Teal Deal"</a> is unlikely to happen.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>The National Party comes from a neoliberal mindset that wants to shrink government and shift the responsibility of social and environmental issues to individual responsibility and market forces. Nowhere in the world has this approach worked and the most stable and sustainable economies are the Scandinavian ones that have large governments and well resourced public services.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>Of course the Green Party would consider an approach from National, but there would need to be a complete shift in philosophy and culture from both for even the possibility of a coalition or a confidence and supply agreement.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>The idea that the Green Party risks its very existence to this perceived intransigence is also nonsense. There are a number of reasons why the Party has dropped in support (some of it of its own making) but there will always be a solid core vote for a genuinely progressive party. The Green Party will never really be a minor party if one takes into account its substantial membership, <a href="http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/politics/green-party-bringing-in-more-money-than-labour/">its financial base </a>and its comprehensive bank of policies (that are continuously reviewed and updated). All parties suffer from fluctuations of support as Bill English is fully aware when <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_general_election,_2002">National received only 20% voter support</a> under his leadership in the 2002 election.<br /><br /><b>SUMMARY</b><br /><b><br /></b>I do wish we had a mainstream media that took an educational approach to what it presents to the public rather than giving print and air space to multiple commentators who clearly have an agenda or bias around outcomes. I find <i><a href="https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2017/10/04/51681/let-the-government-building-games-begin">Newsroom</a></i>&nbsp;refreshingly balanced and intelligent in what it presents, if only our newspapers and main TV channels took the same approach.<br /><br />What we want in the end is a government that bases decisions on evidence and is future focused regarding our economy and the very real social and environmental crises that have exploded under National. We want a country that leads the world in areas that are really important rather than <a href="http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2017/06/nz-now-ranks-at-bottom-of-developed.html">becoming known as the very worst</a>.&nbsp;</div>bsprouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12428353657153292616noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3612441315352179822.post-15690784459893097852017-09-22T17:00:00.003+12:002017-09-22T22:55:31.451+12:00Post Truth Politics works for National<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MfetzxvLP2s/WcSTdTH06MI/AAAAAAAAHCk/0Oip12cxNF4UELlh6vppJPNn3wLcrdCAQCLcBGAs/s1600/Bill_English_and_Paula_Bennett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="410" data-original-width="760" height="172" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MfetzxvLP2s/WcSTdTH06MI/AAAAAAAAHCk/0Oip12cxNF4UELlh6vppJPNn3wLcrdCAQCLcBGAs/s320/Bill_English_and_Paula_Bennett.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>New Zealand is a land of Bullies. While many New Zealanders are good caring people it is a bullying culture that leads and governs us. The evidence for this came out strongly in the <a href="https://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2017/06/nz-now-ranks-at-bottom-of-developed.html">recent Unicef report</a>. We have the <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/91728517/kiwi-students-report-secondhighest-rate-of-bullying-in-international-study">2nd highest rate of bullying</a> in schools out of 51 countries and if anyone disputes this they can try and explain why we have the <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-40284130">highest levels of youth suicide in the world</a>.<br /><br />Bullying is a learned behaviour and the fact that it exists so strongly in our schools is just a reflection of what has been taught within the environment our children live in. National Standards in Education (narrowing teaching to literacy and numeracy), has stifled the teaching of a rich curriculum and reduced the importance of teaching values. <a href="https://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2015/05/schools-beards-and-civil-society.html">Strict uniform rules and demanding compliance</a> has also become increasingly important in some schools and civics education has a low priority. The focus has been on educating to be work ready rather than supporting our students to be fully active citizens in our society. The number of young people registering to vote is low.<br /><br />Workers in the private sector have also been largely bullied into submission, few are union members (only 20% of workers are unionised) and pay increases have been minimal for some time, well below increases in productivity and housing costs. The living wage is also considered unaffordable by too many corporate employers and the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/80431938/Slavery-in-New-Zealand-is-increasing-with-migrants-the-most-exploited">use of migrants as slave labour</a> is a growing problem.<br /><br />Our <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/7664815/Bullying-rife-in-public-service-survey">ministries and government departments</a> are also managed through autocratic regimes with complaints and whistle blowing actively discouraged. &nbsp;The fact that <a href="http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2017/07/ministry-of-transport-whistleblowers-treated-unfairly-in-redundancy.html">a Ministry of Transport fraudster survived so long</a> by bullying those beneath her is evidence of a pervasive problem. Paula Bennett is remembered for <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/7482635/Bennett-won-t-rule-out-releasing-beneficiary-details">disclosing the private details of two beneficiaries</a> to discredit their complaints and she recently suggested that <a href="http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/election/2017/09/lawyers-condemn-paula-bennett-s-fewer-human-rights-comments.html">not all people deserve basic human rights</a>. Diplomats who questioned Murray McCully's structural changes to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/81530003/Damning-inquiry-misinterpreted-says-State-Services-Minister-Paula-Bennett">were targeted in a negative way</a>&nbsp;as were school principals who questioned National Standards and <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/93988416/belated-apology-means-education-ministry-needs-to-rethink-its-approach-to-christchurch-schools">the closing of Christchurch schools</a>.<br /><br />The National Party has bullying down to a fine art and, when its collective backs are against the wall and facing a possible loss, the lies and heavy bullying tactics come flowing out. Blatant scaremongering and lies are currently being stridently promoted by its MPs and candidates and National has also rallied its supporters within the business community, the media and farming sector to make <a href="http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/339637/farmers-protest-in-ardern-s-hometown">a good deal of negative noise</a>.<br /><br />When <a href="https://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2017/08/turei-slaps-pakeha-privilege-in-face.html">Metiria Turei exposed the reality of living on a benefit</a> since the huge cuts in the 90s she received overwhelming support from a growing demographic of poor New Zealanders. However, when the Green Party polled 15% it mobilised National's aligning forces. The right wing media quickly shifted Metiria's revelations into personal attacks and blew up her admitted behaviour into a major crime (conveniently <a href="https://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2017/08/secrecy-conflict-and-corruption-in-new.html">ignoring far worse and more recent behaviours</a> from many National Ministers). The media pressure and attacks on Metiria's family got too great for Metiria (and two other MPs) and the Green's poll support slumped.<br /><br />When Jacinda Adern successfully took on the leadership of the Labour Party, it took a little while for National to work out an effective strategy to deal with her popular appeal. The personal attacks against Andrew Little ("Angry Andy") and a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/328714/hagamans-to-continue-fighting-little-in-defamation-case">National supporter's dubious legal actions</a>&nbsp;had been effective at keeping him out of the race, but Jacinda's already established popularity needed a different approach.<br /><br />National obviously decided to attack Labours economic credibility to distract from Jacinda's appeal and shift the debate away from poverty and the real crises in housing, health and the environment. Steven Joyce came out with a <a href="http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/on-the-inside/338907/just-joyce-fiscal-hole-claim-wears-thin">wild lie that Labour had a $11.7 billion fiscal hole</a> in their budget plan and despite independent economists not finding evidence to support it, neither Joyce nor English have backed down or apologised.<br /><br />The lies have come thick and fast since and National have claimed that Labour are going introduce new taxes and the Labour and Greens water charges <a href="https://www.odt.co.nz/news/election-2017/labours-water-charging-policy-reckless-says-english">will cause farms to become unprofitable and cabbages will cost $18 each</a>. The media also focused on the false tax issues National presented and Bill English has mastered the ability to lie with a straight face about his party's successes and economic credibility.<br /><br />Paddy Gower was a key media voice in attacking Metiria and generally jumps on board many of National's wild claims. Being a central part of the mainstream media's political messaging he can have a huge influence on voter perceptions and it seems that he is beginning to develop a conscience. <a href="http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/election/2017/08/patrick-gower-apologises-for-claiming-poll-result-drove-metiria-turei-to-quit.html">Gower did apologise</a> to to the Greens for some of his false reporting and he is now calling National's strategy <a href="http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/election/2017/09/patrick-gower-national-playing-post-truth-politics.html">"Post Truth Politics"</a> as the party surges ahead in the polls on the strength of their lies.<br /><br />Gower's last minute attack of journalistic conscience is too little, too late. The mainstream media have been too soft on the lies and corruption that have been obvious for the last nine years and we needed greater scrutiny well before now. There is a reasonable chance that Trump like post truth politics could provide National with another term. If so, our children, our rivers and our climate will have to wait another long three years before their needs are properly addressed. We can't let that happen,<br /><br />PARTY VOTE GREEN!bsprouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12428353657153292616noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3612441315352179822.post-12544828910839678072017-09-13T19:52:00.001+12:002017-09-13T23:39:51.728+12:00What vote will deliver the change we need...?<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EgzIgY7zI1c/WbiZrBLABtI/AAAAAAAAHCQ/ci7aLrXMXcg0wa6uSdjxq8A4fpxcY5emwCLcBGAs/s1600/three_col_jacjam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="288" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EgzIgY7zI1c/WbiZrBLABtI/AAAAAAAAHCQ/ci7aLrXMXcg0wa6uSdjxq8A4fpxcY5emwCLcBGAs/s1600/three_col_jacjam.jpg" /></a></div><br />This has probably been the most dramatic election campaign that I have experienced in almost 40 years of voting. As with most elections, the media focusses on the drama rather than the substance and there is very little real analysis of the policies and what would really be in the best interests of our country.<br /><br />After nine years in power National has created an opportunist, boom and bust economy that has served property investors, banks, corporate interests and intensive dairying well. At the same time we have seen damaging under-investments in social welfare, housing, education and health. The lowest income quintile of New Zealanders have suffered most and we now have the highest percentage in the developed world of homelessness and the&nbsp;<a href="http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2017/06/nz-now-ranks-at-bottom-of-developed.html">worst statistics for child health and welfare</a>. Our environment has suffered hugely and we have one of the weakest responses in the world to climate change.<br /><br />To hold on to power National has resorted to wild scaremongering as it has seen its comfortable lead melt away with the warm positivity of the Jacinda effect. The claim that there is a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/on-the-inside/338907/just-joyce-fiscal-hole-claim-wears-thin">$11.5 billion hole</a> in Labour's proposals and that <a href="https://www.odt.co.nz/news/election-2017/labours-water-charging-policy-reckless-says-english">cabbages will cost $18 each</a>&nbsp;is the <a href="https://nzhistory.govt.nz/media/video/dancing-cossacks">equivalent of Muldoon's dancing cossacks</a>. Sadly such blatant lies can be effective when the initial headline gets the most attention and the rebuttal or retraction generally becomes minor news.<br /><br />The constant attack on Labour's tax plans has also created a perception of uncertainty and yet the media has not looked in any depth at National's campaign promises and the cost benefit analysis behind them. One of their most expensive policies is the <a href="https://www.national.org.nz/next_generation_roads_of_national_significance">$10.5 billion promised for even more roads</a>&nbsp;when the whole country is <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&amp;objectid=11818222">screaming out for improved public transport systems </a>and a greater investment in rail.<br /><br />Voters need to understand that the National Government is a reactionary, populist and largely neoliberal one that rarely uses evidence to support major decisions or has a future focus. Its attempts to deal with the housing crisis is the most obvious indicator of its ineffectiveness. It knew in 2008 that there were issues around housing supply and affordability and yet chose to protect the interest of property investors above ordinary New Zealanders. That decision ultimately caused us to have the most expensive housing in the world and ignored the fact that having decent housing actually underpins the general health and wellbeing of our communities. It is also false economics as our health system struggles to meet the growing numbers of patients <a href="http://www.ehinz.ac.nz/indicators/indoor-environment/health-conditions-related-to-cold-and-damp-houses/">suffering from respiratory illnesses and Rheumatic Fever</a>, directly attributable to poor housing.<br /><br />While National is now throwing some money at areas of need, we need to question why they didn't act earlier and why the amounts involved are still very minimal compared to what is actually needed (and a fraction of what they are prepared to spend on roads). When the likes of mental health needs a huge investment to turn around our shocking youth suicide statistics it appears to be more important to cater for those who want to drive their cars (National supporters clearly have a strong aversion to slumming it on buses). Earlier this year Metiria Turei suggested that there should be <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/76249279/green-party-proposes-unit-to-cost-all-political-party-promises-to-voters">a unit within Treasury to independently cost party promises </a>each election, but it was National that was most reluctant to support this. Only Labour and the Greens have sought independent analysis of their policy costings.<br /><br />When the current Deputy Prime Minister suggested that <a href="http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/election/2017/09/lawyers-condemn-paula-bennett-s-fewer-human-rights-comments.html">some people should have fewer human rights </a>it was a clear indication that the current judgemental and punitive approach that is being used to manage social welfare support won't change if National is re-elected. <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/90029807/jane-bowron-shame-on-english-for-his-stonerloser-youth-claim">Bill English has already written off our struggling young people </a>in favour of continuing to rely on cheap migrant labour. Compassion is a word that may be used by National MPs at times but its true meaning is beyond their understanding. A good deal of the legislation passed under <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/opinion/73978663/beck-eleven-human-rights-being-ignored-in-new-zealand">this Government breaches the human rights declarations</a> we have committed to, and this isn't likely to change in the future.<br /><br /><b>So who to vote for?</b><br /><br />The Labour Party and the Green Party are the only two parties who have publicly committed to changing the government and declared an interest in forming a coalition afterwards. It is also important that voters think carefully about the sort of values and governance that they would like to have emanating from the beehive. Surely the corruption and conflicts of interest that have been the hallmark of the National led Government needs to end. <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/93921384/ministry-of-education-apologises-to-canterbury-schools-after-scathing-ombudsman-report">Report after report </a>and numerous court decisions have questioned government decisions and<a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/blogs/asia/2017/08/zealand-waters-polluted-170831090454283.html"> internationally our past reputation as a clean green, honest paradise is rapidly eroding</a>.<br /><br />Labour has built some real momentum after Jacinda took on the leadership. She has proven to be knowledgeable, empathetic, quick witted and personable and has won the popular vote from the leadership debates so far. Behind Jacinda are team of current and potential MPs who would be easily more competent and principled than National's line up. However Labour is still a mainstream party that has o<a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/national/95945991/Four-out-of-every-five-dollars-donated-to-big-parties-in-secret-sparking-new-push-for-transparency">ver 80% of its donors as secret</a> and neoliberal, corporate concerns may still have an influence on decisions over ordinary New Zealanders. When Jacinda was elected leader and Labour rose in the polls <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&amp;objectid=11897857">a flurry of donations</a> came in, many would be wanting to buy influence if the party became the government. The Green Party has been open about all major donors.<br /><br />While Labour has adopted a number of Green like policies in relation to addressing our polluted rivers, climate change and addressing poverty, many still don't go far enough. In <a href="http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/shows/2017/09/welfare-debate.html">a <i>Newshub </i>debate</a> between Labour's Carmel Sepuloni and the current Social Development Minister Anne Tolley, Sepuloni refused to count out the use of sanctions for beneficiaries and commentators were concerned about the softness of Labour's policy in this area.<br /><br />The Green Party are the obvious coalition partner for Labour and will add real value for supporting true progressive change. The Green's comprehensive policies <a href="https://www.greens.org.nz/policy/environment-policies">on climate change</a>, protecting our freshwater systems and <a href="https://www.greens.org.nz/policy/social-policies">dealing with poverty</a> would strengthen and compliment Labour's policies if a good many are adopted. The Green Party's history of getting greater transparency in parliament and government will also be of value (we only have access to MPs expense claims because of the Greens). The Green Party would be a useful conscience for a Labour led government that still has the remnants of its neoliberal past lurking in its back benches. The greater the Green vote, the greater chance Green policies and transparent decision making will feature.<br /><br />TOP is unlikely to pass the 5% threshold so is a wasted vote, Winston is a populist and almost Trump like in his approach to politics and he has spent most of his recent campaigning <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&amp;objectid=11921313">on his own personal issues</a>. Act and United Future are also nonentities and barely exist as functional parties.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.greens.org.nz/policy">The Green Party is not a minor party</a> as the media have often suggested after it dropped in recent polls. For the last six years the Greens have sat above 10% and, before the arrival of Jacinda, <a href="https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/labour-20-year-low-greens-surge-new-poll-ck-205869">one poll gave the party 15%</a>&nbsp;(only 9 points behind Labour at the time).&nbsp;For the last few years the party has managed&nbsp;<a href="http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/politics/green-party-bringing-in-more-money-than-labour/">to raise more money than Labour</a>&nbsp;and built a sizeable membership. The Green Party also has an impressive candidate list with <a href="https://www.greens.org.nz/ourpeople">many highly competent and principled candidates</a>&nbsp;who would be great in government.<br /><br />A party vote for the Green Party is not a wasted vote. It is a vote to change the government, it is a vote for our rivers, for our climate and for our struggling families. The Green's policies on most issues from health to education, to sustainable business and our precious environment are also evidence based and comprehensive. It is also a vote for an able coalition partner for Labour to ensure the real change we need actually happens.<br /><br />Party Vote Green!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />bsprouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12428353657153292616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3612441315352179822.post-14699070964466821662017-08-25T18:17:00.000+12:002017-12-20T10:18:21.205+13:00Paddy Gower makes stuff up again. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wfc_1oefUcg/WZ-pTxwKadI/AAAAAAAAHCA/F2oha6iQPkc46aC568Th0bVS_ObiyZwpwCLcBGAs/s1600/patrick-gower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="512" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wfc_1oefUcg/WZ-pTxwKadI/AAAAAAAAHCA/F2oha6iQPkc46aC568Th0bVS_ObiyZwpwCLcBGAs/s320/patrick-gower.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />John Campbell was a thorn in the side of right wing politics, many of his stories revolved around ordinary New Zealanders and their struggles. His continuous interviews with poorly treated home owners and school communities after the Christchurch earthquakes exposed huge gaps and issues with the recovery processes. His stories have since been validated by both the <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/93921384/ministry-of-education-apologises-to-canterbury-schools-after-scathing-ombudsman-report">Ombudsman</a> and <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/78690984/Christchurch-rebuild-projects-gets-worst-performance-rating-in-Treasury-report">Treasury</a>. Campbell was duly removed and his slot was replaced by lighter shows. While he is still inflicting damage to the National Government with his stories on <a href="http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/336499/southern-dhb-in-a-slow-motion-train-crash">our failing health system</a>&nbsp;(from his new Radio New Zealand home), he does not have the same reach (most RNZ listeners probably vote Labour/Green). <br /><br />With Campbell gone three opinionated men, with clear right wing bias, now dominate the political narratives coming out of Media Works' NewsHub and TV 1 during peak viewing times. While more measured commentary and interviews exist through the weekend early morning shows (<i>The Nation</i> and <i>Q+A)</i>, &nbsp;it is Duncan Garner, Paddy Gower and Mike Hosking who capture the attention of the majority of viewers and potential voters. There has been no attempt to ensure greater balance (or even gender equity) in how our political commentary is presented, the views of privileged white males dominate.<br /><br />Earlier this year it looked as though the National Party was going to cruise through to a fourth term. Although John Key had resigned and Bill English was not nearly as personable as his replacement, there was still the highly spun impression for many of sound economic management and some attempts to address the "challenges" (that I would regard as huge crises). Andrew Little wasn't lighting any fires for voters and even a combination of Labour and the Greens continually fell short of National in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_New_Zealand_general_election,_2017">successive polls</a>.<br /><br />It was the Green Party that lit a spark of hope with some bold announcements at the Party's AGM. James Shaw presented a strong climate policy and <a href="http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2017/08/turei-slaps-pakeha-privilege-in-face.html">Metiria went all out</a> to announce bold policies to address the <a href="http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2017/06/nz-now-ranks-at-bottom-of-developed.html">shocking inequities</a> and poverty in this country. Within her speech she created an intentional controversy by admitting benefit fraud 25 years before as a solo mum (by not being honest about the number of people who shared her house). This personal admission started a necessary debate around how beneficiaries are treated and how many are forced to make difficult choices to look after their children. The Greens' boldness saw them shoot up to 15% in the following poll and a possible Labour/Green coalition had grown teeth.<br /><br />Commentators from the left were overjoyed at this result and effusive praise resulted:<br /><br /><a href="http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.co.nz/2017/07/escape-velocity-greens-rocket-out-of.html">Chris Trotter </a>claimed that Labour had been "burned out of the sky by Metiria Turei and the Greens." He later fantasised about a growing mass movement to "<a href="http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.co.nz/2017/08/tales-from-possible-future-avenge.html">avenge Metiria</a>."<br /><br /><a href="http://gordoncampbell.scoop.co.nz/2017/08/08/gordon-campbell-on-the-nations-moral-tizzy-on-metiria-turei/">Gordon Campbell</a> stated the following: "Turei's actions in recent weeks have arguably been entirely consistent with Green Principles. She chose to put her reputation at risk in order to draw attention to how poverty is being weaponised, and used against those on benefits. That aim was admirable. If anyone felt worried about the Greens blanding out and converging on the political centre, Turei has just given them pretty good reason for voting for them this year."<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rotorua-daily-post/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503435&amp;objectid=11895826">Merepeka Raukawa-Tait</a> was one of the many many women who spoke out in support of Metiria: "We see beneficiaries as a faceless job lot. All to be treated the same, no exceptions made. Even for those who want to invest in themselves for the sake of their family's future. We have rules to keep them in their place and so they remain "a cost" to the taxpayer. I would prefer government departments concentrate their efforts on going after the highly educated big business fraudsters. The ones who continue to rip off taxpayers to the tune of millions of dollars a year."<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/bay-of-plenty-times/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503343&amp;objectid=11903920">Brian Gould</a> was able to describe what inequity looks like when discussing fraud: "Charles Dickens himself could not have invented a more inventive and bizarre story line. It is truly a tale of two citizens (Turei and English), and of how differently fate - and we - have treated them. Why the difference?"<br /><br />Most importantly <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4kRhx1BapM&amp;t=4s">Metiria gained much support from the very people</a> she was desperately trying to advocate for.<br /><br />Lawyers were approached about the degree of Metiria's offending twenty five years earlier and it was generally viewed at the minor end. Of course there were also some comparisons of the behaviour of actual sitting MPs and Ministers who arguably did far worse in terms of <a href="http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2017/06/todd-barclay-exposes-national-party-as.html?spref=gp">illegal behaviour</a> or ripping off the taxpayer. Bill English's legally manipulated, but morally corrupt, accommodation allowance would have involved many times the amount Metiria received (<a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/2910957/Bill-English-buckles-over-housing-allowance">$900 a week to support his family to live in their Wellington mansion</a>).<br /><br />The rise of the Greens was a frightening prospect for the right, especially as it could very well make the Greens a significant presence in a future government. The attacks on Metiria bordered on hysterical.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/95894005/duncan-garner-brickbat-for-turei-bouquet-for-ardern">Duncan Garner</a> held nothing back: "...she got what all self-serving and ultimately selfish politicians deserve - a feral and feverish examination by the media." And <a href="https://twitter.com/DuncanGarnerNZ/status/894444625594798080">tweeting</a>: "Metiria Turei must resign as co-leader to stop the rot. This has backfired, no contrition, total debacle..."<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&amp;objectid=11898716">Mike Hosking</a> dredged over the details of Metiria's family circumstances, the very thing that she was trying to highlight as immoral and overly intrusive for beneficiaries, before concluding: "But what we can't escape is the law is the law, and what she's done is against it. And more than once, and there is still no contrition. Part of the judicial process, which by the way I very much hope she becomes part of as they look to claw back the money she's stolen from us, part of that process is contrition and apology."<br /><br /><a href="http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/election/2017/07/patrick-gower-metiria-turei-s-political-fraud-is-ripping-off-the-new-zealand-public.html">Paddy Gower </a>was the most extreme in his comments: "Metiria Turei's biggest ripoff is that she is trying to exploit the New Zealand public for political gain. Yes, she has also systematically ripped of the taxpayer by committing benefit fraud. But make no mistake: the main motivation of her admission was to try and get votes."<br />"In my opinion, she is ripping off the New Zealand public by dropping, drip-feeding and dragging out this saga. It is political fraud."<br /><br />It is ironic that Gower accuses Metiria of "political fraud" and chasing votes as if her admission and the policy was some sort of crime. What Gower really finds difficult to bear is the possibility of the Greens getting into power and actually attempting to address inequality and give more support to the poor. For some bizarre reason Garner calls Metiria's behaviour "self-serving and selfish". I would really love him to explain his reasoning here as she hardly lives in a mansion like Bill English or any of his <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/92409698/The-many-houses-of-our-MPs-which-MPs-have-a-stake-in-multiple-properties">property owning colleagues</a> and her intention is to give more to others.<br /><br />It is noticeable that none of this emotive language was used to <a href="http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2017/06/todd-barclay-exposes-national-party-as.html?spref=gp">question Bill English's involvement with Todd Barclay's illegal behaviour</a> and resulting payout. Here is a Prime Minister, who sucked many times more than Metiria had done from the taxpayer to support his lavish living conditions, refusing to be open about his level of involvement in a coverup of illegal behaviour. Gower just asks soft questions and diligently records the spin.<br /><br />Metiria finally resigned as a co-leader because of the level of intrusion by the media into her family circumstances and the impact it was having on close family members. Gower exclaimed on TV, as if it was fact, that she had acted because of the poor polling result alone. <a href="http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/election/2017/08/patrick-gower-apologises-for-claiming-poll-result-drove-metiria-turei-to-quit.html">While he did apologise for grilling James Shaw relentlessly</a> on the issue he hasn't backed down from this view.<br /><br />The Jacinda effect has definitely changed the ball game and National and the right wing media have been thrown into disarray. Playing dirty against past Labour leaders (using the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crosby_Textor_Group">Crosby Textor</a> approach) has been effective over many elections but doing the same to a <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/95389400/the-jacinda-effect-and-why-national-will-be-worried">popular young woman and media darling</a> is problematic (<a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&amp;objectid=11908121">Gareth Morgan learned the hard way</a>). A much easier strategy would be to take out the Greens and reduce the strength of Labour's strongest ally.<br /><br />When <a href="http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/337983/ohariu-candidates-scramble-after-dunne-s-table-flip">Peter Dunne stepped down</a> from contesting his seat in Ohariu it removed the rationale for the Greens not standing a candidate. This was a seat previously gifted to Dunne by National so that he could provide an overhang and another vote for them in Parliament. The Green Party did not stand a candidate in a tactical move to support Labour in their joint goal of changing the government. Obviously when Dunne stood down the electorate became just like any other and Tane Woodley was reinstated. Labour and the Greens <b>agreed not to do deals for strategic electorates</b> but each party had the freedom to make decisions that would support unseating National, it should have been no surprise to Labour that the Greens would revisit their decision in Ohariu.<br /><br />These facts had no influence on Gower and, rather than question Dunne's timing (which seems quite churlish when National had supported him so long and his decision would negatively impact on their campaign), he attacked the Greens instead.<br /><br />On TV3 news Gower explained to viewers that the Greens had violated their MOU with Labour and reneged on an agreement in Ohariu. To give the lie greater support an image of the supposed MOU document came up on the screen, it is unlikely that TV3 even has a copy so it was clearly a fabrication. This is biased reporting of the very worst kind and gave Bill English the ability to claim that the opposition were in disarray. No matter how much Jacinda and James convincingly denied the claims that the MOU was in trouble, the story continued to be presented.<br /><br />The truth is that although the Green Party has taken some hits it is still running <a href="https://www.greens.org.nz/">a strong campaign on issues</a> where it has real credibility and has some <a href="https://www.greens.org.nz/ourpeople">very capable candidates</a>&nbsp;standing in almost all electorates. A strong Green result would add real heft to a Labour/Green government and would ensure that the important issues facing this country are properly addressed.<br /><br />bsprouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12428353657153292616noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3612441315352179822.post-91188301617549283612017-08-20T21:55:00.000+12:002017-08-20T22:55:31.933+12:00Secrecy, Conflict and Corruption in New Zealand Elections<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JXy2c33qt5E/WZlcVTw-88I/AAAAAAAAHBw/--SxBXAt364t3cW6lrCyvmcilsP53CjXACLcBGAs/s1600/1462872244122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="620" height="180" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JXy2c33qt5E/WZlcVTw-88I/AAAAAAAAHBw/--SxBXAt364t3cW6lrCyvmcilsP53CjXACLcBGAs/s320/1462872244122.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Green Party leader James Shaw is advocating for greater transparency around political donations and wanting to expose potential conflicts of interest. Some years ago <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/2463884/Green-MPs-to-reveal-their-expenses">Metiria Turei managed to open MP expenses to public scrutiny </a>and it is likely that this has saved the country millions when the spotlight was shifted to the use of public funds by our elected representatives. The Sunday Times has revealed that the two major parties manage to keep the names of around <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/95945991/new-push-for-transparency-with-four-out-of-every-five-dollars-donated-to-big-parties-given-secretly">80% of their major donors secret</a> and New Zealand First refuses to reveal any of theirs.<br /><br />It is generally understood that the United States political system has been <a href="http://www.scholarsstrategynetwork.org/how-money-corrupts-american-politics">corrupted by money</a>. Few candidates for any elected position can run a successful campaign without significant funding and major donors generally expect a return on their investment. The influence of big donors and corporate funds enables legislation that often impacts negatively on the wider population. This system has led to processed <a href="http://grist.org/food/2011-11-17-congress-and-big-pizza/">tomato sauce being regarded as a vegetable</a> for school lunches and the wealthiest businesses receiving&nbsp;<a href="http://grist.org/food/2011-11-17-congress-and-big-pizza/">government subsidies</a>. I believe that New Zealand is now becoming similar to the US with regards to the impacts&nbsp;<span style="text-align: center;">of money.</span><br /><br />There are so many examples of both National and Labour governments favouring the wishes of large corporates and rich individuals over ordinary New Zealanders and it is very probable that most are secret donors:<br /><ul><li>National bowed to the l<a href="http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2012/10/nz-alcohol-industry-triumphs-again.html">obbying of the liquor industry</a> and watered down legislation to limit the advertising and sales of alcohol.&nbsp;</li><li>Many large individual donors get <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&amp;objectid=11619417">personal audiences with the Prime Minister</a> and backroom deals are clearly done. Wealthy immigrant businessmen, from countries where bribes are accepted practice, are obviously <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/93404022/developer-donghua-liu-found-guilty-of-resource-consent-charge">using the same approach here</a> with some success.</li><li><a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/6715420/Critics-slam-Sky-City-pokie-deal">The SkyCity conference centre deal</a> was criticised for its poor process and the business has <a href="https://www.mynational.org.nz/Event?Action=View&amp;Event_id=18">obvious connections with National</a>. I would be very surprised if it is not a major donor.</li><li>New Zealand's <a href="http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2016/04/nz-tax-haven-quiet-little-achiever.html">tax haven status was supported by John Key</a> and his Ministers despite concerns from Treasury. <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/79424553/prime-minister-john-keys-lawyer-asked-about-foreign-trusts">Key's own lawyer was involved</a> in lobbying for softer regulations and who knows who involved in foreign trusts donated to the National Party. It is interesting that greater disclosure requirements have seen <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&amp;objectid=11873317">most of the foreign investors disappear</a>, it was obviously a dodgy set up.&nbsp;</li><li><a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/9601664/School-gets-aid-despite-assets-worth-millions">Private Schools get preferential treatment </a>under this government and one wonders how many donors have children attending these exclusive institutions.&nbsp;</li><li>The National government has been soft on property investors despite the fact that we have record housing disparity and the <a href="http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/money/2017/03/new-zealand-housing-most-unaffordable-in-the-world-the-economist.html">most unaffordable housing in the world</a>. In the National Business Review <i><a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&amp;objectid=11893239">Rich List</a></i> property investors dominate and a good number are likely to be major donors.&nbsp;</li><li>Conflicts of interest between her role as a Minister and <a href="http://www.newshub.co.nz/politics/timeline-judith-collins-and-oravida-2014050512">her husband's directorship of Oravida</a> were raised with Judith Collins some time ago and led to her demotion. However the conflicts still exist and <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503450&amp;objectid=11052197">Oravida's profits from exporting swamp Kauri </a>continue to be <a href="http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/325665/bid-to-stop-swamp-kauri-exports-fails">supported by weak regulations</a>. Orivida is <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&amp;objectid=11820377">a known National Party donor</a> but the true amount of its donations and influence may never be known.&nbsp;</li><li>The Government has supported the highly polluting dairy industry with <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/77806924/funding-boast-for-north-island-irrigation-schemes">subsidised irrigation</a> schemes to further intensification despite the fact that the industry is a <a href="http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/science/greenhouse-gases/agricultural-greenhouse-gases/methane-emissions">major contributor to our greenhouse gas emissions</a> and the <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/9425346/Dairy-farming-harming-water">degradation of our fresh water systems</a>. Most<a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/5017279/Dairy-farmers-paying-no-tax"> dairy farmers contribute little in tax</a> as they rely on largely untaxed capital gain and increasing equity to increase their wealth. The <a href="https://researcharchive.lincoln.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10182/4797/baskaran_nzae_09.pdf;sequence=1">external effects of the dairy industry</a> is subsidised by tax and ratepayers. Given the lack of balance in government policy one can assume the influence of major donors from the industry.</li><li>I do wonder why this government has such <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&amp;objectid=11907668">an obsession with building motorways</a> over investing in cost effective public transport and surmise that most of its major donors <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/luxury/75724026/Vroom-vroom-Luxury-car-sales-boom">drive expensive cars</a> and wouldn't be seen dead on a bus or commuter train. Both Gerry Brownlee and Simon Bridges ignore research and evidence and base their investment in the Roads of National Significance&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HMWjZcKHZw">on their belief that "people" want them</a>. National's people (and their major donors) drive cars.&nbsp;</li><li>When the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIzHPtm2QRk">Health Minister refuses to introduce a tax on sugar</a> despite the evidence of its effectiveness overseas (and our growing rates of obesity), the influence of the sugar based food industry is the obvious explanation. Major donors here too?&nbsp;</li><li>The <a href="http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2014/03/problem-gambling-foundation-too.html">shift of funding from the Problem Gambling Foundation to the Salvation Army</a> probably involved undue influence from the Gambling industry. The PGF was internationally regarded because of its efforts to address the causes of problem gambling but that was negatively impacting on the industry. It would be useful to know if the gambling industry was another major donor.&nbsp;</li></ul><div>If all donations over $1,000 had to be publicly listed then it would clearly show where a party's support base comes from and who may have influence over any Government. The ideal funding system for elections would be through tax revenue (it already is for TV advertising) and that would remove the potential of private donors and big business from having an undue influence. Sadly, given the general distrust of politicians (despite their influence on our lives), we are left with a political system that is increasingly resembling the US in terms of funding practice. The power of money trumps<a href="https://mic.com/articles/91111/what-america-can-learn-from-norway-s-success-in-regulating-campaign-finance#.P9dfjulCd"> evidence when formulating policy and prioritising spending.</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Until our elections are fully government funded then at least we should have greater donor transparency. It is important that the Green Party has a strong influence on any future government because of the party's track record on transparency and good process. A party vote to the Greens is insurance that even Labour won't be unduly influenced by its major donors.<br /><br /></div>bsprouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12428353657153292616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3612441315352179822.post-2096202075246906872017-08-09T23:59:00.000+12:002017-08-11T01:02:47.290+12:00Metiria Turei, the price of boldness<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XC3l23dol1g/WYrW3ayGNyI/AAAAAAAAHBg/vG3qufQF09QlKXyN411-Xo1a8AbheXpdACLcBGAs/s1600/1483838445147.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="620" height="180" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XC3l23dol1g/WYrW3ayGNyI/AAAAAAAAHBg/vG3qufQF09QlKXyN411-Xo1a8AbheXpdACLcBGAs/s320/1483838445147.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />I have been a bit stunned and emotional since Metiria's resignation. I was surprised at the extent of the impact it has had on me and I think many other Green Party members feel the same.<br /><br />It was hard enough reading and listening to all false narratives about Metiria's motivations and integrity and her resignation had a similar affect on me as if I had received the news that a close family member had terminal cancer. Metiria obviously isn't suffering from a terminal illness but her political persona has had to endure some pretty heavy hits until the impacts on her family could no longer be endured. This is the end of her political life as a Green MP and I am really upset that this is how it had to happen.<br /><br />Some commentators will say that Metiria brought it upon herself, she put herself forward to lead the Party and she was the one who openly admitted benefit fraud. Of course an element of this is true, but the level of scrutiny and political attack she has had to endure has bordered on hysterical, often hypocritical and was becoming increasingly personal.<br /><br />Metiria is not motivated by self-interest or personal gain and <a href="https://www.greens.org.nz/ourpeople/metiria-turei-mp">her life has been dominated by service</a>. I just don't get why people think that she owes anything to the state, even after receiving more than she was entitled to as a young mother. The whole intent of the DPB was to ensure both the mother and child had enough to live on and that future employment and community contribution will be a likely outcome.<br /><br />Surely Metiria's law degree, her work in commercial law and her 15 years in Parliament as a hard working MP and party leader must have more than repaid the initial investment. Although falsely claimed over 20 years ago (as many did), it would pretty churlish at this point to say that the estimated $7,000 or so she probably owes was major fraud. She has been willing to pay back whatever is determined as her debt. Metiria's successful campaign to have all MPs expenses be publicly available has saved many times more what she could owe. <a href="https://www.parliament.nz/en/mps-and-electorates/mps-expenses/members-expense-disclosure-from-1-april-to-30-june-2017/">Metiria's own expenses</a>, as a party leader, are pretty modest compared to what many low ranked MPs spent in the last quarter. A good portion of Metiria's income is channelled back into the party.<br /><br />For the likes of Donald Trump and many other politicians, a high level of ego or narcissism protects them from any criticism. Metiria has a high level of personal drive and strong work ethic. Moving from being a young Maori sole parent (with no qualifications) to becoming a lawyer and leader of a political party before she was 40 was a considerable achievement. However, narcissism is not something Metiria suffers from, she constantly worried that her performance was good enough as the leader of the party and dressing for the role came from a modest wardrobe (<a href="http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2014/01/national-attacks-jacket-not-message.html">despite the nasty charges from Government MPs</a>). She lives a lively and publicly engaged, but hardly extravagant life style.<br /><br />Andrew Little stood down as leader of the Labour Party because he felt his leadership was damaging his Party's campaign and one of the reasons Metiria stepped down (other than family ones) was because she realised that her personal story was dominating the news, rather than the plight of the poor as she intended. Politics in New Zealand is brutal (as it is anywhere) and I feel we have lost two 'good' leaders from the left in quick succession because presentation and perception is valued more than substance. While I do greatly admire Jacinda's performance as a leader (I do believe she will make a great Prime Minister), we have shifted to a political culture where party leaders have to present a 'celebrity' image to be truly successful. New Zealanders now demand charismatic stars over solid and principled performers.<br /><br />Most columnists and critics don't know Metiria as I know her:<br /><ul><li>As a newly elected leader at an AGM I remember her helping serve breakfast while still in her pajamas, humble service has been a feature of her leadership (she often describes herself as being a bit "dorky").</li><li><a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/87872588/mps-hidden-talents-metiria-turei-knits-her-way-to-a-peaceful-mind-in-parliament">Knitting</a>&nbsp;while preparing a speech in her head and then delivering something as if it had been written and practiced hours before. Metiria is highly intelligent and is able to grasp complex issues quickly and articulate them easily.&nbsp;</li><li>Metiria's giggle is a feature of any meeting where she is present and yet, while having a good sense of humour, she quickly becomes focussed when decorum dictates and leadership is needed. Metiria has <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8fsXeAL15k">a commanding presence when necessary</a>.&nbsp;</li><li>Learning Te Reo so that she can better communicate as a Maori leader in Parliament and in Maori forums. For someone not brought up speaking her own language this has involved hard work and courage to use in public.&nbsp;</li><li>Solving child poverty has been something that <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edV_0frVxfY&amp;t=413s">Metiria has championed</a> since first entering parliament, revealing her own story was a last ditch, and very brave attempt, at starting a real national dialogue.&nbsp;</li></ul>In <a href="https://www.parliament.nz/media/3917/turei-metiria-maiden-speech-3-september-2002.pdf">her maiden speech </a>as a 32 year old, Metiria described clearly who she was and what motivated her as a new MP:<br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><i>I grew up in a working-class Maori family, and we were poor. But I was most deeply affected in my childhood by my parents, who shared, without question, their meagre resources with many of our friends and family. This sharing was the exercise of our Maori familial values, best expressed as whanaungatanga, where the whole whanau cared for and took responsibility for all its members. Like many Maori, I grew up with this sharing as a fundamental expression of my Maori self. <o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><i>But I also grew up in a racist society, where the expression of Maori values is considered a failure to cope in a modern society. The notion that a Western-styled, two-parent family unit is the only cornerstone of a decent society is an example. That notion is a racist one. The expression by Maori of our values, like whanaungatanga, is undermined by the perpetuation of such notions. To be a Maori in this society is to be revolutionary by mere existence. My politicisation, my subversiveness, was grounded in my living my life as a Maori.</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><i>...</i></span><span style="font-family: &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><i>I accept that some may argue that what I have outlined is not transformation but reformation-mere tinkering-but this is not a compromise. It is not complacency. It is a strategy. We empower individuals; we strengthen and support families; we build communities; we politicise the populace; and, as in my case, perhaps, we infiltrate the power structures. Finally, in my own journey of empowerment, politicisation, and subversiveness, I have found myself a member of the establishment, but not now, nor ever, its advocate. Tena koutou, tena koutou, kia ora koutou katoa.</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: &quot;times&quot;; font-size: small;"><br /></span></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">We can best honour Metiria's work and political career by ensuring that <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dqa7ZMfMAE0">her campaign to end poverty</a> does not finish with her resignation, but continues with renewed energy. The&nbsp;<a href="http://www.childpoverty.co.nz/">300,000 New Zealand children</a>&nbsp;living in income deprived households and the 90,000 children experiencing severe poverty and material hardship need us to make that commitment.<br /><br />Metiria entered Parliament to represent and advocate for the disenfranchised and speak truth to power, in this she remained determined and consistent for 15 difficult years in opposition as an MP and eight of them as Co-leader.<br /><br />Thank you, Metiria<br /><br />Kia kaha<br /><div><br /></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: &quot;times&quot;; font-size: small;"><br /></span></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>bsprouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12428353657153292616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3612441315352179822.post-34434071755119504102017-08-08T16:39:00.002+12:002017-08-09T00:04:57.248+12:00The Green Party and the consequences of boldness <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Lo-TaezD_HM/WYk89Oi7JCI/AAAAAAAAHBQ/rmrt53EicrYoUQznRoAs-sOx9FO3Yt9cQCLcBGAs/s1600/eight_col_graham-and-clendon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="720" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Lo-TaezD_HM/WYk89Oi7JCI/AAAAAAAAHBQ/rmrt53EicrYoUQznRoAs-sOx9FO3Yt9cQCLcBGAs/s320/eight_col_graham-and-clendon.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />The resignations of MPs Kennedy Graham and David Clendon were unfortunately timed and they managed their announcement badly, disregarding party protocols. Although I regard both as friends, I believe our caucus, our party and the campaign will actually be stronger because of their decision.<br /><br />For some time the Green Party has been drifting into a more centrist space and we had become very risk-averse. There was a general acceptance that the party needed to be in government to really make a difference and the pathway chosen to achieve this became a more moderate one. I believe that this was a mistake and the Party just became absorbed into the centrist swamp of poll driven caution. For many the Budget Responsibility Rules and James' immigration announcements were a step too far and we were beginning to look no different from Labour and National.<br /><br />The Green Party is a values based party and we desperately need a more values based approach to deal with current issues than the largely fiscal one we have at present. The National Government's approach of "doing more with less" is essentially austerity under a different name and this has failed everywhere else.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/201853932/this-won-t-destroy-the-greens-jeanette-fitzsimons">Jeanette Fitzsimons</a> wrote an article earlier this year in the Green Party membership magazine promoting her belief that boldness rather than blandness was needed if we were to have any real impact. Given the level of environmental degradation, the very real threat of climate change and increasing levels of poverty, greater urgency is required. Bernie Sanders and Jeremy Corbyn both got a huge amount of support for exposing the damage caused by neoliberalism and being frank about the solutions. The time for speaking truth to power is clearly now.<br /><br />Metiria's admission of benefit fraud at the Green Party AGM was the necessary cut through to start a meaningful debate. Election after election of releasing useful policy got nowhere because it was just appealing to people's 'headspace' rather than the 'heartspace' that actually resonates with voters. The issues around poverty and insufficient welfare support needed to be framed within a personal story and Metiria made the very brave decision to expose her own to do this.<br /><br />There are consequences for boldness and Metiria got hit with a tidal wave of abuse from those who believe that welfare fraud is the ultimate crime. For many breaking the law is totally unacceptable, no matter what the motivation. However, it was clear that the loudest critics were well removed from the realities of our welfare system and misunderstood the point of her admission. Sadly, I believe that Kennedy and David come from this perspective too. While both have served the party well for many years, the communities that they mainly worked within (international diplomacy, academia and business) probably shaped their thinking. The moderate approach the Green Party had been taking best served those communities and Kennedy and David probably saw previous support slipping away because of Metiria. Their own work has probably been compromised by Metiria's stand and I think I understand their perspective.<br /><br />The Green Party cannot be everything to everyone and we were already in danger of becoming another National or Labour, constrained from strong action because of an unwillingness to upset one of our communities. I believe that we now need to show some backbone and come out strong for the issues and communities that really need our support. It will mean that we will lose some current members and supporters but, for those who understand the environmental issues and social consequences of the current regime, a soft approach will no longer do.<br /><br />To truly stand up for the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CheckpointRNZ/videos/1951204398455320/?hc_ref=ARS0qA5bcWgcZE9S8gyEhHgpEwYzxpg8WHnsxlwWEYgX9v8fwO0CNKPgqsONEdL_2kE&amp;pnref=story">growing disenfranchised</a> in our society we must stand behind Metiria. At the moment she is representing every beneficiary who has not been best served by our welfare system and has been forced to make difficult choices in order to meet the needs of their children. If we fail to do this, and Metiria steps down, then the current discriminatory system and culture will only win again.<br /><br />We must not let that happen!<br /><br />bsprouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12428353657153292616noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3612441315352179822.post-50080905617913751282017-08-06T00:01:00.000+12:002017-08-06T23:59:21.151+12:00Turei slaps Pakeha privilege in the face!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kHwVH2TjFOE/WYWvA0RfRZI/AAAAAAAAHA8/tZR_WaKdN48tpqMcYMiQNxZfJzm41GEKACLcBGAs/s1600/metiriaturei-newshub-1120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="1120" height="182" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kHwVH2TjFOE/WYWvA0RfRZI/AAAAAAAAHA8/tZR_WaKdN48tpqMcYMiQNxZfJzm41GEKACLcBGAs/s320/metiriaturei-newshub-1120.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Metiria Turei's <a href="https://www.greens.org.nz/news/speech/mending-safety-net-%E2%80%93-metiria-turei%E2%80%99s-speech-green-party-2017-agm">AGM admission</a> has exposed the inequality, racism and meanness that thrives in New Zealand society.<br /><br />There are few people who can look back at themselves as young adults (18-24 years) without remembering past decisions and actions that we wish could be replayed with our current knowledge and experience. Times when we badly mismanaged relationships; broke the law and got away with it (or not); impulsively squandered money or said or did something stupid while intoxicated.<br /><br />We also know now that no matter how intelligent or educated a young adult is, <a href="http://mentalhealthdaily.com/2015/02/18/at-what-age-is-the-brain-fully-developed/">their brain isn't yet fully developed until the age of 25</a>. Until then impulsiveness and risk taking are common features of any early adults' behaviour. The internationally respected Dunedin Study revealed that <a href="http://www.noted.co.nz/currently/social-issues/the-dunedin-study-the-examined-life/">more than 90% of young males will break the law in some way</a>. Most stop their criminal behaviour, settle down and become responsible citizens who contribute positively to society and the economy.<br /><br />However, this transition into adulthood can be very different depending on socio-economic background. Our society and justice system treats the risk and law breaking phase of young adults very differently depending on an individual's social status. Maori and beneficiaries are regarded as the bottom of the heap and Maori beneficiaries are even lower.&nbsp;<a href="http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2012/07/racism-apparent-in-our-legal-system.html">A post I wrote some years ago</a> about the racism that exists in our criminal justice system is still valid as the statistics remain the same. We still lock up young Maori disproportionately and destroy their ability to succeed later in life because a criminal record will substantially reduce options.<br /><br />My Pakeha experience as a student and young adult, and that of my children, is one of privilege. A stable home life, financial support and having educated parents usually creates a helpful pathway to success. It is a much harder road for many young Maori. Unemployment, poverty, poor housing and few resources to support academic endeavours can be insurmountable barriers.<br /><br />Metiria Turei is statistical outlier for young Maori women. Despite Metiria's childhood being dominated by hardship and her early adulthood involving sole parent responsibilities, she was able to gain a law degree and became a co-leader of the Green Party by the age of 39. Such achievements for Maori (who generally lack financial support from their families) are only really possible with state support. <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/blogs/on-the-house/2681542/Bruiser-Bennett-and-the-beneficiaries">Paula Bennett's removal of the training allowance</a> for solo mums effectively kicked away the ladder used by both Paula and Metiria to climb out of the low waged economy.<br /><br />Most offending by young adults is hedonsitic stuff involving alcohol, drugs or thrill seeking, but Metiria's dishonesty was motivated by her responsibilities as a mother and loyalty to a friend. While there is no disputing that her actions were unlawful, they are <a href="https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/04-08-2017/yup-metiria-turei-broke-the-law-but-this-is-a-hell-of-a-heavy-price/">considered at the minor end of offending</a> and there was little profit to herself. It is also interesting to note that few politicians have come out strongly condemning Metiria. Given the intense scrutiny of her 25 year old offences I'm sure many would rather not have that same attention brought to their own early lives.<br /><br />The strident attacks on Metiria are mainly from the right-wing media, who flock like sharks at the sight of left-wing blood (Todd Barclay has got off lightly in comparison from main stream media). I find the framing and intensity of the attacks, for historical offences that have been openly admitted, bordering on the hysterical.<br /><br />More recent behaviours of National Government Ministers have been far more questionable in terms of morality and fiscal impact. <a href="https://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2016/07/governor-general-should-dissolve-our.html">Murray McCully's pathetic Saudi bribe</a> cost the country $11.5 million and he was never held to account for his lies over this dodgy deal. The previous Prime Minister's support of <a href="https://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2016/04/nz-tax-haven-quiet-little-achiever.html">New Zealand's tax haven status</a> was also a saga full of conflicts of interest and lies at a level that should have brought down the government, if only it had the media scrutiny it deserved. Knowingly allowing money laundering and tax evasion, through a lightly regulated investment regime (involving billions of dollars,) makes Metiria's dishonesty pale in comparison.<br /><br />For the Right, Metiria still represents everything they despise. To them she is still a young Maori solo mum living off 'good honest taxpayers' while promoting cannabis and poking fun at our sacred institutions. Stories of her heinous crimes are accompanied by shots of a dreadlocked Metiria with her baby, people smoking huge joints, and McGillicuddies dancing in kilts. The fact that she has worked as a commercial lawyer, is a Co-leader of New Zealand's third largest political party and has been a hard working and respected MP for fifteen years has been shamefully ignored.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/89651698/ministry-of-transport-fraudster-joanne-harrison-had-a-destructive-streak-relative-says">Major fraudster and bully, Joanne Harrison</a>, has had lighter media treatment than Metiria, which only the supports the evidence that<a href="http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/257185/economic-crime-costs-up-to-$9-point-4bn"> white collar crime is considered a lesser evil</a> than benefit fraud.<br /><br />Personal attacks and abuse are nothing new for Metiria. She was cruelly&nbsp;<a href="https://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2014/01/national-attacks-jacket-not-message.html">criticised for wearing designer clothes</a>&nbsp;(when such challenges would never be made to a Pakeha MP) and she generated much anger by daring to question <a href="https://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2015/01/turei-ratana-speech-justified.html">PM John Key's ignorant view</a> that the colonisation of New Zealand was nonviolent. The underlying racism is clear.<br /><br />Metiria Turei has again spoken truth to power and slapped Pakeha privilege in the face. While&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&amp;objectid=11898716">Mike Hosking</a> and <a href="http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/election/2017/07/patrick-gower-metiria-turei-s-political-fraud-is-ripping-off-the-new-zealand-public.html">Patrick Gower</a>&nbsp;bristle with indignation from their right-wing media pulpits, there is a steadily growing crowd (from the marginalised and disenfranchised many) coming out of the shadows to stand behind Metiria. At last there is someone in Parliament who has walked in their shoes (and who still remembers) and is openly admitting what they never can.bsprouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12428353657153292616noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3612441315352179822.post-90426678390304817222017-07-12T13:58:00.000+12:002017-07-13T00:30:17.621+12:00Winston and the Greens, a reality check<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JnLu4NojDTo/WWWCK-4TlyI/AAAAAAAAHAs/jILRPeHhtQQ29y1oaVyu1m1oHxuxC3iGgCLcBGAs/s1600/ns0517greensgettyimages-454529194.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="251" data-original-width="350" height="228" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JnLu4NojDTo/WWWCK-4TlyI/AAAAAAAAHAs/jILRPeHhtQQ29y1oaVyu1m1oHxuxC3iGgCLcBGAs/s320/ns0517greensgettyimages-454529194.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Let's have some honesty around the Winston factor in this election. Metiria Turei has received a good amount of criticism for calling out New Zealand First for racist rhetoric during a <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&amp;objectid=11888053">Q&amp;A interview</a> and at the <a href="http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/334768/greens-hit-out-at-nz-first-during-campaign-launch">Green Party campaign launch</a> in Nelson. Some commentators and politicians are claiming it isn't political, or diplomatic, to criticise a potential coalition partner. At the same time there is a growing demand for honest politics and when Metiria stated that the Greens could work with New Zealand First if it allowed progressive change (but it wouldn't be the Party's preferred scenario) this was a truthful representation for voters to be mindful of. It seems that the Greens can't win either way.<br /><br />I wish there was a little more honest analysis of New Zealand First's policies and the Party's relationship with the Greens.<br /><br />Winston Peters is described as a <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&amp;objectid=11889199">celebrity politician</a>&nbsp;and possibly the only one left in this campaign since our celebrity Prime Minister resigned. His current polling in the preferred Prime Minister stakes is 11 percent, the second highest after Bill English, because of his strong branding and recognition in the political arena. To his credit Winston has been in parliament for 11 terms and 33 years, he only missed out in re-election in 2008 and is probably too old (at 72 years) to be called the <a href="http://www.thepaepae.com/winston-peters-comeback-kid-again/20161/">"Comeback Kid"</a>.<br /><br />New Zealand First is Winston's party, he alone drives the campaigns and <a href="http://winston%20peters%20question%202017/">asks the majority of the questions in the house</a>. Once he retires it is unlikely that the Party will survive, even with <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/94261885/shane-jones-confirmed-as-new-zealand-first-candidate-for-whangarei">Shane Jone</a>s on board.<br /><br />Winston is the consummate populist politician and can be compared with the ambulance chasing lawyers in the US. He is constantly on the lookout for issues or constituencies that are ripe for the political picking. At the same time it has to be admitted that some of what he has achieved throughout his long career have produced positive results. He has entrenched his support from a large number of retirees with his Gold Card and appeals to the sorts of concerns that many elderly have. The majority of Winston's well attended campaign meetings have grey hair. He was also a safe Foreign Minister under the previous Labour Government and he generally sets aside his maverick persona once he has achieved a "secure" position.<br /><br />Winston has a finely-tuned nose for scandal and can effectively spin a story. The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winebox_Inquiry">"Winebox" Inquiry</a>&nbsp;is the biggest that he is known for and, while no actual fraud was proved, it did result in changes to lax tax law. It was the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_tape_scandal">"Tea Tapes"</a> saga that helped propel New Zealand First back into Parliament in 2011. Winston's claim that he had heard the accidentally taped conversation of John Key and John Banks, and his drip-feeding of its supposed scandalous contents, kept him in the media eye for the last crucial week of the campaign. It turned out that there was nothing of any real consequence in the tape, but the drama around it and Key's heavy handed response created great political theatre and intrigue. At the same time Winston effectively shut out discussions of real policy as it appeared boring in comparison for journalists needing juicy scoops.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.teara.govt.nz/en/ethnic-and-religious-intolerance/page-5">Since 1996 immigration has been a regular policy platform</a> for Winston and he generally does appeal to the racist fears of many. A good number of New Zealanders feel challenged by cultures other than European and the increasing numbers of Asian immigrants cause them to feel that their familiar way of life may be threatened. In earlier campaigns Winston talked about the "non-traditional" immigration and successfully tapped into those concerns. <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&amp;objectid=11889155">It isn't actually that difficult to find examples of his racist rhetoric</a> and it is hard to ignore his <a href="http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1571185/new-zealand-lawmaker-blasted-racist-joke-about-chinese">"two Wongs don't make a white"</a> comment in 2014. This caused the Race Relations Commissioner to <a href="http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1571185/new-zealand-lawmaker-blasted-racist-joke-about-chinese">accuse Winston of inciting hatred</a> against the Chinese. Metiria is not the first to call him out and it makes the strident denials from New Zealand First a little hollow.<br /><br />New Zealand First's ambulance chasing has revealed two other constituencies that no other party would stoop to engage. Sue Bradford's Section 59 amendment (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crimes_(Substituted_Section_59)_Amendment_Act_2007">the "Anti-Smacking Bill"</a>) was supported by both Labour and National (113 votes for to 8 against) and surveys and investigations since have revealed that the <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/politics/3135921/Nigel-Latta-gives-OK-to-anti-smacking-law">law change is working well</a>. However, an element of the population still feel that the right of parents to use physical forms of discipline on children (when family violence and <a href="https://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2017/06/nz-now-ranks-at-bottom-of-developed.html">the welfare of our children is still a national concern</a>) is being restricted by the act and want it changed. The Conservative Party had supported this view and (as the Party no longer exists), Peters obviously feels that there are potential votes in seeking another referendum. <a href="https://www.tvnz.co.nz/shows/q-and-a/clips/extras/10-years-so-called-anti-smacking-bill">It was sad to see Tracey Martin</a>, a usually strong voice for education and rights of children, having to defend this policy.<br /><br />The other group that New Zealand First want to champion for easy votes is the anti-1080 lobby. This is another cynical attempt to snaffle up another lot of disgruntled, but misinformed, voters for political gain. National, Labour and the Green Party all support the research and science around the use of 1080 and see its use as a last resort attempt to save many of our bird species from certain extinction. MP Richard Prosser is leading the policy to ban the poison to get a large group of New Zealand's hunters onside and is <a href="https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2017/07/11/38194/1080-new-truths-or-few-truths">happy to spread obvious misinformation to do this</a>.<br /><br />New Zealand First, despite claiming it would never work with the Greens in earlier elections, actually does collaborate well. The Manufacturing Inquiry was a joint Labour, Green and NZ First initiative and in the debating chamber Winston will often step up in defence of Green MPs if he feels the Speaker has not treated them well. Tracey Martin, especially, has been a strong advocate for our public education system and was worked well with Catherine Delahunty and Metiria on joint areas of concern. The Green Party's Chief of Staff is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deborah_Morris">Deborah Morris-Travers</a>, a past New Zealand First MP. There are clear synergies with New Zealand First and the Greens and the potential for the two parties to work constructively is obvious.<br /><br />Political positioning for this election is already clear. National will be hoping their polling remains at a similar level despite the Barclay revelations (that haven't yet impacted) and that their usual allies will be successful. This is less sure with the Maori Party still struggling and the diminishing significance of the Act Party and United Future. The latter two only really exist because of National's support and <a href="http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2017/07/state-of-the-parties-united-future-report-card.html">Peter Dunne almost lost his Party completely</a> when membership dropped below the 500 threshold.<br /><br />The MOU with Labour and the Greens was a sensible move because, of all the major parties in Parliament, their policies are more closely aligned and voters need to see that there is a workable alternative to National.<br /><br />New Zealand First relies on its populist policies and the charisma of its leader. It needs the flexibility to capture voters that the other parties wouldn't consider and any MOU would restrict that approach. Winston likes to make up policy on the hoof and having a no surprises clause with other parties would remove a major tool from his campaigning tool box. It also works in his favour to keep the door open to both National and the Labour/Greens, it is quite possible that 10% + maybe achieved and Winston revels in the "kingmaker" role.&nbsp;&nbsp;However, after the election and the hunt for voters ends, I can imagine that a Labour/Green coalition with New Zealand First would work fine. It wouldn't be as easy as a straight Labour/Green Government but Winston is very pragmatic, he worked well with Helen Clark and will most likely collaborate well again.<br /><br />This country has some huge environmental and social crises to deal with and I really hope that we don't lose an opportunity to make the very necessary progressive changes because of our very own <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-02-16/why-donald-trump-really-is-a-populist">"Donald Trump" factor</a>. Winston is a far better man than Trump but his methods of campaigning are very similar and it encourages divisiveness. <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&amp;objectid=11888810">Voters beware!</a>bsprouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12428353657153292616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3612441315352179822.post-7533862010618436992017-07-10T00:04:00.001+12:002017-07-10T10:32:08.500+12:00The disturbing truth about the Green Party<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jxh3IbBNu80/WWIWbDxKaxI/AAAAAAAAHAY/aL9zECBJRtEh2S5aI6X26jkccQ5KouycgCLcBGAs/s1600/Green%2BParty%2Bcandidates%2B-%2Bcropped%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="1600" height="106" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jxh3IbBNu80/WWIWbDxKaxI/AAAAAAAAHAY/aL9zECBJRtEh2S5aI6X26jkccQ5KouycgCLcBGAs/s320/Green%2BParty%2Bcandidates%2B-%2Bcropped%2B2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand has existed for 27 years and it was built on the foundations of the Values Party that was formed in 1972. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Values_Party">The Values Party</a> was the first Green Party in the world to stand in a national election and its 1975 manifesto <i><a href="https://www.globalgreens.org/green-party-platforms-programs-and-manifestos/nz_values_1975">Beyond Tomorrow</a></i> exists as one of the foundation documents for all the Green Parties of the world (it was especially pivotal for the formation of the UK Greens). <a href="https://home.greens.org.nz/charter">The charter and principles of the Party</a> have reamained consistent since it began and the values, that form the foundation of all policies, have changed little.<br /><br />The Green Party Charter accepts <i><a href="http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2015/02/the-tppa-and-recolonisation-of-aotearoa.html">Te Tiriti </a></i>(the document that was actually supported and signed) as the founding document for our country and recognises Maori as the first people of Aotearoa. Four principles direct the Party's operations and policy and they are:<br /><br /><b>Ecological Wisdom:</b> Currently we are stuffing up our planet with our <a href="http://www.hefty.co/truth-in-pictures/?ref=fb">emissions and waste</a>. In New Zealand we have <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/91956116/Serious-pressures-facing-rivers-Government-report-finds">huge issues with our water quality</a> and lack of will to do anything about <a href="http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/278582/nz's-climate-change-target-condemned">our greenhouse gas emissions</a> (we are amongst the worst in the developed world per capita for both). We need to recognise that we have finite resources and environmental limits and need to work within them both. The current government's plan of doing little to deal with our emissions (one of the lowest targets in the world) and <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/73905760/Paris-climate-talks-NZ-to-rely-on-carbon-credits-to-meet-emissions-pledge">buying carbon credits</a> from those countries who are doing more than us is appalling.<br /><b><br /></b><b>Social Responsibility:</b> We need to ensure that our resources are used sustainably for future generations and that we share what we have equitably. A developed country like ours should not have <a href="http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/292138/a-third-of-nz-children-live-in-poverty">a third of our children being affected by poverty</a> or have thousands of families having to live in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/17/new-zealand-housing-crisis-forces-hundreds-to-live-in-garages-tents-and-cars">third world housing conditions</a>&nbsp;(even reported in overseas newspapers). Every child should be born with systems in place to ensure that they can be supported to reach their full potential and feel that our government and communities care.<br /><b><br /></b><b>Appropriate Decision-making:</b> Decisions should be based on evidence and ensuring all relevant factors are considered, the Greens believe that a more holistic approach should be used (environment/social/economic). Those affected should be properly consulted and the <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/10135732/Politicians-talk-about-keeping-it-local">decisions should be made at the appropriate level</a>. Official information shouldn't be held back <a href="http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2012/12/ombudsman-exposes-dishonesty-and-poor.html">for purely political reasons</a> and the wider public should be properly informed rather than being subjected to continual spin. The Green Party's idea of having <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/76249279/green-party-proposes-unit-to-cost-all-political-party-promises-to-voters">a branch of Treasury cost the key policies</a> of political parties during an election makes sense. If that had been in practice two elections ago it would have revealed the truth about the billions being spent on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hg_aHJMs3v4">motorways that fail cost benefit analysis</a>.<br /><br /><b>Non-violence:</b> This just doesn't mean physical violence but the way we engage in all relationships, whether through government agencies, foreign affairs, as employers or within our families. New Zealand has an ongoing history of authoritarianism and bullying, from <a href="https://nzhistory.govt.nz/occupation-pacifist-settlement-at-parihaka">Parihaka</a> through to our workplaces and school playgrounds we <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/91728517/kiwi-students-report-secondhighest-rate-of-bullying-in-international-study">rate amongst the worst in the world</a>. We have horrific rates of family violence and we need to have good, non-violent models of behaviour at leadership level if we want to change this, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mk-Yva9nnwg">watching our Parliament in action</a> is evidence of where we should start.<br /><br />I have read much political commentary about the Greens. Many claim&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&amp;objectid=11886962">that the Party has sold out</a> on its past activism and is now just another centrist party <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&amp;objectid=11826337">supporting conventional economic management</a>. Apparently <a href="http://www.noted.co.nz/currently/politics/the-greens-as-you-have-never-seen-them-before/">wearing suits and smart dresses</a> is evidence that we have lost our way. I have heard that the MOU with Labour will cause the Party to lose its identity and end up being just <a href="https://www.tvnz.co.nz/shows/q-and-a">an insignificant appendage</a> of a weakening 2nd largest party. For many years I have read that <a href="https://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2012/10/the-greens-and-knitting.html">the Green Party should stick to its "knitting"</a> and just focus on the environment and look at potentially going with either National or Labour as their environmental conscience.<br /><br />Much of this commentary comes from those with no close involvement with the Party or they have ulterior motives. Many do not understand how the Party operates and wrongly assume that its leadership are as authoritarian as others. It is actually the policies and philosophies that drive the party and, while the leaders may have different personal approaches to the role, the essential messages remain the same.<br /><br />The Green party is a stable and financially secure party, it has a membership of around 7,000 and has grown substantially over the last few years. It currently<a href="http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/politics/green-party-bringing-in-more-money-than-labour/"> raises more money</a> to support the Party's operations and campaigns than Labour. It has stable leadership and currently only Winston has more years fronting a party than Co-leader Metiria Turei (8 years, 15 as an MP). <a href="https://www.tvnz.co.nz/shows/q-and-a/clips/extras/metiria-turei-talks-green-partys-campaign-launch">Metiria's interview on Q&amp;A</a> describes well why the Party's evolution of image is not an indication of a change in message. Turei's ongoing determination to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8fsXeAL15k">"speak truth to power"</a> is what we should expect from our political leaders. The Green Party was the only Party not to congratulate Donald Trump as the President of the US and for well-articulated and principled reasons.<br /><br />Any scrutiny of <a href="http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2017/04/green-list-provides-diversity-and.html">the Green Party list</a> reveals candidates with diverse backgrounds and high levels of capability. The current Green MPs and high ranking candidates run circles around the current Ministers with their vision and understanding of the issues:<br /><ul><li>Why on earth would people support a Government that is comfortable sending <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/92242934/gerry-brownlees-aussie-trip-nothing-but-a-fizzer">Gerry Brownlee</a> out to stand strong on important foreign issues when <a href="https://www.greens.org.nz/ourpeople/kennedy-graham-mp">Kennedy Graham</a> is waiting in the wings? It was also Kennedy who brought all parties together to begin to <a href="https://www.parliament.nz/en/get-involved/features/mps-collaborate-across-party-lines-in-response-to-climate-change/">properly address our responsibilities</a> in addressing climate change.&nbsp;</li><li>Why put faith in Simon Bridges and his obsession with low value motorways when <a href="https://www.greens.org.nz/ourpeople/kennedy-graham-mp">Julie Anne Gentre</a> has the research and the knowledge for solving Auckland's transport woes in a fiscally responsible way?</li><li>Metiria Turei has been fronting the issues of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dqa7ZMfMAE0">child poverty for years</a> while National still refuses to measure the extent of the problem and implement effective policy.&nbsp;</li><li>Why would we think that National's continual <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/93643050/kevin-hackwell-coal-mining--is-the-government-about-to-screw-up-again">obsession with fossil fuel</a>&nbsp;would be a match for <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fiRZOaKRgA">Gareth Hughes' understanding</a> of the benefits of a low carbon future?&nbsp;</li><li>Why would we be comfortable with National leading the much needed changes in government support for children when they have such a <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/87027752/RNZ-host-clashes-with-Anne-Tolley-for-her-response-to-state-abuse-inquiry">callous approach to past victims</a> of state care. <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&amp;objectid=11867670">Jan Logie </a>at least dragged out one apology from Minister Tolley by confronting her with one story of state abuse.&nbsp;</li><li>Why would we think that the National Government has any economic credibility when they don't understand how doing little about climate change impacts on our economy. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CooXK8XXP3g">James Shaw understands the problem</a>.&nbsp;</li><li>When the National Government <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/19/new-zealand-battles-obesity-epidemic-as-third-fattest-country-in-the-world">backs corporate profits before dealing with the causes</a> of our huge obesity crisis, isn't about time we got <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/news/85943427/local-mps-at-odds-over-palm-oil-labelling">Mojo Mathers</a> in to ensure all New Zealanders are properly informed about what they are eating?&nbsp;</li><li>This Government still doesn't get the difference between free trade and fair trade and have <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/92872655/Foreign-firm-allowed-to-bottle-millions-of-litres-of-water-a-day-from-Christchurch-aquifers">sold us out to foreign interests</a> on a continual basis. <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/86819000/barry-coates-trade-treaties-and-the-need-for-transparency">Barry Coates</a> has an appreciation of what fair markets look like.&nbsp;</li><li>Our agricultural sector needs to change approaches to be sustainable and profitable into the future. Nathan Guy's push for increased production was partly responsible for increasing our dairy herds to unsustainable levels. <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/the-country/news/article.cfm?c_id=16&amp;objectid=11847866">Green candidate and farmer John Hart</a> appreciates what farming of the future could look like.</li><li><a href="http://www.radiolive.co.nz/Eugenie-Sage-DOC-lacking-a-compelling-goal-staff-frustrated/tabid/721/articleID/61400/Default.aspx">Eugenie Sage understands&nbsp;</a>the value of our conservation estate while a National Minister didn't even know where the blocks were that he&nbsp;<a href="http://www.newshub.co.nz/politics/minister-didnt-know-park-was-in-drilling-plan-2014040817">signed off for future mining</a>.&nbsp;</li><li>When the Government's<a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/87423493/Private-Business-Public-Failure-Inside-Our-Prisons"> privatisation of prisons failed</a> and it would rather <a href="http://build%20more%20expensive%20prisons/">build more</a>&nbsp;than invest in rehabilitation, then it is surely about time we allowed <a href="https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/nz-20-years-behind-us-announces-end-private-prisons">David Clendon to sort it out</a>.</li><li>Catherine Delahunty has fought long and hard for an inclusive and equitable education system and the <a href="https://blog.greens.org.nz/2016/12/09/education-for-all/">inquiry she initiated revealed how inadequate the support is</a>. The Government allows special education funding to go to the wealthiest schools and <a href="http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2014/03/the-destruction-of-new-zealands-public.html">continues to dismantle our once world leading public education system</a>.&nbsp;</li><li>Denise Roche has <a href="https://blog.greens.org.nz/2012/01/14/ports-of-auckland-agenda-casualisation-union-busting-and-privatisation/">championed struggling New Zealand workers' rights</a> and highlighted the fact we are not managing our waste well. She has shifted thinking on how we should deal with <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/68585561/greens-want-a-plastic-bagfree-new-zealand">single use plastic bags.</a>&nbsp;</li></ul>The disturbing truth about the Green Party (for any detractors or National supporters) is that it is a growing political force, part of <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/europeangreens/sets/72157679567137442">an expanding global movement</a>, and is here to stay. When more and more people around the world are embracing green solutions for our very real global challenges, it surely makes sense to put those who really understand what what needs to be done in charge. The Green Party leaders front an organisation that has substance and integrity and will continue strongly if they step aside, what other party can claim that level of proven stability and resilience?<br /><br />Of course this post has been written very much from a Green perspective but I would be interested in hearing, with evidence, any convincing views to the contrary. I am open to debate, this is an election year after all ;-)<br /><br />bsprouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12428353657153292616noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3612441315352179822.post-40058422806577917652017-06-28T14:56:00.000+12:002017-08-06T00:12:24.942+12:00National, Dead Party Walking...<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c9hu6KsJWQM/WVMW18exZII/AAAAAAAAHAI/Iku54oJGKZMyJjiK6mOPtTUR1TfBstjGgCLcBGAs/s1600/eight_col_large_1M1A5592.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="720" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c9hu6KsJWQM/WVMW18exZII/AAAAAAAAHAI/Iku54oJGKZMyJjiK6mOPtTUR1TfBstjGgCLcBGAs/s320/eight_col_large_1M1A5592.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />The National Government probably passed its "use by" date well before the last election. It has held power through clever PR and an affable Prime Minister, despite achieving little of note over nine years. However, John Key is no fool, he resigned because his money trading, sixth sense told him the odds of winning another term in 2017 were not great. The years of mismanagement were being increasingly revealed and the election would be the Opposition's to lose.<br /><br />The Government is rapidly running out of excuses for its lack of competence. After nine years it is hard to blame the previous Labour Government for things that are happening now. The Global Financial Crisis occurred in 2007-2008 (a decade ago) and the Christchurch earthquake happened seven years ago. Whatever the country is dealing with now is largely down to National's governance.<br /><br />What I find interesting is the eventual demise of this Government may be triggered by Melanie Reid's investigative work on the <a href="https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2017/06/19/34825/the-politician-the-police-the-payout">Todd Barclay scandal</a>. It seems that gossip and reality TV style, relationship conflicts are what really captures New Zealand's attention, rather than what I would have thought were the big issues:<br /><br />It wasn't the fact that the Government's goal of <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/fieldays/8792039/Ambitious-target-to-boost-agricultural-exports">doubling our agricultural exports</a> and encouraging the intensification of our farms <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/91956116/Serious-pressures-facing-rivers-Government-report-finds">has stuffed our waterways</a>.<br /><br />It wasn't because we have <a href="http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2017/06/nz-now-ranks-at-bottom-of-developed.html">plummeted to the bottom of the world</a> regarding the health and welfare of our children. Or the fact that almost <a href="http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/292138/a-third-of-nz-children-live-in-poverty">30% of our children live in poverty</a>. <br /><br />It wasn't the shocking housing policies, that have seen <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&amp;objectid=11650103">homelessness explode</a> and has even forced working families to live in cars and garages. The fact that we are now the <a href="http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/money/2017/03/new-zealand-housing-most-unaffordable-in-the-world-the-economist.html">most expensive country in the world for housing</a> and billions of taxpayer funds are going into the Housing Supplement and <a href="http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2017/04/homelessness-on-the-rise-in-new-zealand.html">emergency housing</a> hasn't dented National's polling at all.<br /><br />It wasn't the revelation that the Government has <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/93644746/former-rebuild-minister-gerry-brownlee-questioned-need-to-audit-cera-before-damning-report">botched the Christchurch earthquake recovery</a>. Only <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/business/the-rebuild/70084887/How-much-is-the-Government-really-spending-to-fix-Christchurch">a fraction</a> of the Government's claimed investment has been spent, the major infrastructure promised has yet to be built and a high percentage of the repairs <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/business/the-rebuild/75682640/EQC-has-about-5500-shoddily-repaired-homes-to-fix">are being revealed as substandard</a>. And, to rub salt into the wounds, the mental health services dealing with the resulting emotional stress have been <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/90759959/families-despair-as-hospitals-face-severe-shortages-for-acute-mental-health-treatment">seriously under-funded</a>.<br /><br />It wasn't the Ministry of Education having to apologise for the unnecessary trauma of their&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/93921384/ministry-of-education-apologises-to-canterbury-schools-after-scathing-ombudsman-report">school closures</a>&nbsp;in communities recovering from a disaster.<br /><br />It wasn't the continual revelations of bribery and corruption and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirty_Politics">dirty politics</a> that shifted thinking. No one appeared to care about the <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/82629746/Murray-McCully-met-Saudi-businessman-tied-to-a-controversial-farm-deal">$11.5 million bribe of a Saudi businessman</a> to progress a free trade deal, or that we were <a href="http://www.mintpressnews.com/MyMPN/panama-papers-john-key-turns-new-zealand-into-tax-haven/">operating as a tax haven </a>for criminals and dodgy corporates.<br /><br />It wasn't the <a href="http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2014/03/the-destruction-of-new-zealands-public.html">destruction of our public education system</a>&nbsp;that once led the world and is now plummeting down the rankings.<br /><br />It wasn't the report that revealed that the Government&nbsp;<a href="http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/307675/minister-won't-apologise-over-mfat-probe">destroys the careers of long serving government servants</a> who question their flawed plans.<br /><br />It wasn't the growing realisation that the underfunding of DHBs is actually causing basic care to be denied to many, causing&nbsp;<a href="https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/southland/staff-asked-man-be-patient-he-went-blind">blindness</a> and <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/92972655/frustration-disappointment-over-health-funding-in-budget-2017">many unnecessary deaths</a>.<br /><br />It wasn't the $110 million <a href="http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2014/07/novopay-exemplifies-nationals-governance.html">botched implementation of Novopay</a> or the <a href="http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2013/06/solid-energy-damage-continues.html">$600 million collapse of Solid Energy</a> that had an impact (even though Government incompetence was behind both).<br /><br />It wasn't the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hg_aHJMs3v4">$12 billion dollar motorway developments</a> that constantly fail cost benefit analysis, while <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&amp;objectid=11840242">much needed public transport systems in Auckland are being delayed</a>.<br /><br />It wasn't the Government's open door policy to cheap migrant workers and tourists that is putting <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/90404870/councils-estimate--14-b-bill-for-urgent-tourism-infrastructure">serious stress on our underfunded infrastructure</a>.<br /><br />It wasn't the Government's lack of remorse for <a href="https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/kiwi-culture-deregulation-blamed-broken-health-and-safety-system-bd-139415">its role in the Pike River tragedy </a>and <a href="http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/321025/pike-river-families-vow-to-continue-mine-road-protest">lack of compassion for the families involved</a>.<br /><br />In the end it was a rather ignorant and egocentric young MP, who illegally taped his staff in an effort to get rid of them, that has captured the media and country's attention (child poverty hasn't resonated). While John Key's teflon suit managed to let many damning stories wash over him, Bill English's spaghetti pizza, walk runs and <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/94118689/americas-cup-fists-raised-pm-cheers-team-nz-win">cheering Team NZ </a>videos will not be enough. He can't lie and use attack politics as effectively as his predecessor.<br /><br />A discredited Bill English has been left leading a zombie party, shambling directionless (no new policies) through the debris of their own failures. Dead party walking...<br /><br /><br />bsprouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12428353657153292616noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3612441315352179822.post-88211722306276250322017-06-20T17:05:00.002+12:002017-06-25T16:33:49.891+12:00Todd Barclay exposes National Party as liars and bullies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uRYLH24PB8w/WUintXnnWnI/AAAAAAAAG_4/6YWtgvEMjYwBo_RfB2apjWTpUUKHnLcDgCLcBGAs/s1600/download-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="182" data-original-width="277" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uRYLH24PB8w/WUintXnnWnI/AAAAAAAAG_4/6YWtgvEMjYwBo_RfB2apjWTpUUKHnLcDgCLcBGAs/s1600/download-2.jpg" /></a></div><br />The illegal taping of a long-serving and widely respected employee by MP Todd Barclay has revealed much about the National Party's true character. What makes this latest revelation most concerning is the fact that good, honest, grass roots stalwarts of the party have been callously sacrificed with such little regard. <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/dairy/9438735/Dairy-workers-plead-for-better-treatment">This story has been well covered by Newsroom journalists</a>&nbsp;and I think it deserves more than a passing mention.<br /><br />Much has already been written about the National Party's underhand tactics. Nicky Hager exposed the use of the Exclusive Brethren to discredit rival parties in&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hollow_Men_(book)"><i>The Hollow Men</i> (2006)</a> and then in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirty_Politics"><i>Dirty Politics</i> (2014)</a>, where the use of shock jock bloggers to take out rivals was revealed. Although shocking and factual in content (Hager has never been successfully challenged about the accuracy of his work), neither book has really seriously impacted on National's vote. Many people see elections as a battle between political tribes and dirty tactics has been part of process for many years (even before <a href="https://nzhistory.govt.nz/media/video/dancing-cossacks">Muldoon and his dancing cossacks</a>).<br /><br />The New Zealand people are generally seen as good natured and humble, but underneath that veneer we are also highly competitive and determined. Bullying is also unfortunately part of our national character, <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/better-business/83618177/New-Zealand-has-worlds-second-highest-rate-of-workplace-bullying">it is rife in our workplaces </a>and schools. We are <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/91728517/kiwi-students-report-secondhighest-rate-of-bullying-in-international-study">second worst in the developed world for bullying</a> in both. When bullying is such a pervasive part of our culture many see bullies as just being tough and robust and those who are bullied as weak. This is partly why we vote for "strong" leaders and why beneficiaries, and those who struggle, are so easily dismissed as weak people who just need to toughen up, and sort themselves out (just listen to talk back radio and read social media comments).<br /><br />For many years I worked as a volunteer within an education union to provide support for workers having employment difficulties. A good amount of my time was taken up supporting victims of bullying. I understood through a lawyer, supporting one case, that much of his workload related to workplace bullying within the education and health sectors. While it is shocking that occupations centred around caring should have such behaviour as common, one must remember that both sectors are large employers and would just be reflecting work cultures elsewhere. I have heard far more shocking stories of<a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/dairy/9438735/Dairy-workers-plead-for-better-treatment">&nbsp;other employers in the private sector doing far worse</a> than I had dealt with.<br /><br />Todd Barclay was elected to a safe seat where some joke that a sheep dog could win the electorate if it was selected as the National Party candidate, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clutha-Southland">such is the size of the majority</a>. Barclay once worked for tobacco company Philip Morris and at one election meeting I attended, he was questioned about the morality of doing so. The audience was shocked when Barclay shouted down the questioner and refused to give a direct answer, his arrogance and volatility was revealed at that point (I don't accept his youth as an excuse).<br /><br />Glenys Dickson was a very well respected employee, serving Parliament and MP Bill English as an electorate agent in Gore for 17 years. She was known to be principled and caring and did much to help those in the electorate, no matter what their political leanings or backgrounds. She was a strong supporter of the Blue Greens and cared deeply about the declining quality of the Mataura River. The fact that Glenys was subjected to shouting and regular dressing downs by the new MP shows extreme arrogance on his part and a lack of respect for someone who knew much more about the electorate that he was supposed to serve than he did. The secret taping of her conversations on a dictaphone was an illegal offence and should have resulted in a criminal conviction. Barclay abused his position as an MP by refusing to cooperate with the police which resulted in the case being closed through lack of evidence.<br /><br />Even after the large financial settlement, to buy Dickson's confidentiality, she was still subjected to bullying from Barclay's team. She relates in an interview that someone rang to warn her that she would not be welcome at Todd's 2017 selection meeting. To ensure that she would stay away, the caller ended with a sinister reference to her son's partner (a "pretty little thing"), implying a threat of harm.<br /><br />The taping of conversations and Barclay's general behaviour was known throughout the hierarchy of the Party and part of Dickson's settlement was paid from the Prime Minister's own fund. If the Party had any scruples, or moral backbone, it would have got Barclay to own up, apologise and some effort would be have been made to manage him and change his behaviour. The fact that a long serving employee was so callously sacrificed to shut things down says much about the real ethical baselines for National. Instead of being seen as a risk to the party, Barclay is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqblYEww8rI">often promoted in Parliament</a> with his frequent use for asking patsy questions. The Party clearly sees him and his attributes as worthy of support.<br /><br />The point of this post isn't just to expose this case and Barclay's dishonesty (he still denies his behaviour in public) but to call for an end to bullying behaviour at high level. If we are to change our current standing as the second worst in the developed world for bullying behaviour, then we must begin at the top. This affair cannot be swept under the carpet to be forgotten yet again. We do not want Barclay, or others like him, to hold positions of power and influence if they have such little regard for appropriate behaviour or respect for others.<br /><br />This should be seen as a test for Bill English and a test for all of us. If we want New Zealand to be regarded internationally as a country that is honest and fair, and put an end to bullying, then we must make a stand. If we want a caring, ethical and responsible Government we must elect candidates and parties with those qualities, and condemn any who refuse to comply to those reasonable expectations.<br /><br />POSTSCRIPT: What gives me some hope is that the grass roots of the National Party <a href="https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2017/06/20/35025/southern-nats-call-for-police-to-reopen-barclay-case">are wanting the police to reopen the case</a> and I do hope that they look at the way their own leadership has behaved too. Perhaps some may even consider switching their support to another, more principled party.<br /><br />POST POSTSCRIPT: <a href="https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2017/06/20/35046/barclay-steps-down">Barclay has resigned</a> but only after determinedly lying until the growing evidence otherwise forced him to retract and then step down. He is still not apologising for his actions and insisting on calling it an employment dispute when the crux of the issue is his illegal recording. The settlement was to stop his mistake from being publicly known. This does not remove or account for Barclays inferred allegations and behaviour towards Gleny's Dickson and <a href="https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2017/06/21/35171/privacy-commissioner-could-investigate-alleged-recording">there should be an investigation by the Privacy Commissioner</a>&nbsp;around this. <br /><br />Our MPs need to be accountable for their actions and the Party Leadership should be ensuring new MPs are properly informed of their responsibilities and made to face up for their mistakes. The questions that continue to swirl around this story throw much doubt about the standards expected of National MPs, presumably nothing around ethics and the bottom lines appear to be around being "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nwnZYX4tB4">pretty legal</a>" and not getting caught.<br /><br />POST POST POSTSCRIPT: The story continues...<a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&amp;objectid=11880280">Barclay has ensured that he continues earning his taxpayer funded salary</a> until after the election, some $80,000. If he was truly honourable he would have resigned immediately. His legacy is one of damaging the lives of long serving party members with slanderous comments and lies. &nbsp;However, at 27, after working for a tobacco company and as an MP, he can spend more time in his $750,000 Arrowtown house. I bet all the service workers in Queenstown being forced to live <a href="https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/24-03-2017/40-people-to-a-property-eight-people-to-a-room-inside-the-nightmare-that-is-renting-in-queenstown/">8 people in one room,</a> at great expense, were not even aware he was their MP and he clearly doesn't know them.bsprouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12428353657153292616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3612441315352179822.post-27113433652747516952017-06-16T13:14:00.000+12:002017-09-15T21:19:48.850+12:00NZ now ranks at bottom of developed world<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1DdrHruNfCM/WUMmrU-jO-I/AAAAAAAAG_o/ftGrprb0FfQc-x4vLXDmwAhFZz1B74uFACLcBGAs/s1600/1497151139238.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="620" height="180" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1DdrHruNfCM/WUMmrU-jO-I/AAAAAAAAG_o/ftGrprb0FfQc-x4vLXDmwAhFZz1B74uFACLcBGAs/s320/1497151139238.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />The <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/93583589/unicef-report-wellbeing-of-kiwi-kids-languishes-behind-other-developed-countries">latest Unicef report</a> has us languishing at the bottom of the developed world in relation to the health and welfare our children and youth. This report was based on the data our government collects and concerningly, with regards to child poverty, a ranking wasn't provided because of a refusal to follow standard practice (an admission of failure?). In many documented areas we are seriously neglecting our young people (ranking numbers are determined by the data provided from a maximum&nbsp;<a href="http://www.unicef.ca/sites/default/files/2017-06/UNICEF%20Innocenti%20Report%20Card%2014%20EN.pdf">of 41 developed countries</a>):<br /><ul><li><b>Child Poverty (41/41?</b>) I consider that we must be by far the worst in the developed world for child poverty when the Government refuses to use the same measures as other countries so that we can be ranked. Our Children's Commissioner and the Child Poverty Monitor currently state that 14% of our children suffer from material hardship. We have a much higher threshold to determine this and require 7 elements to recognise hardship, while most other countries use only two. The US is ranked 33 out of 37 for child poverty and they have <a href="http://www.nccp.org/topics/childpoverty.html">21% of their children in households living below the poverty threshold</a>. 28% of our children live below the poverty line and 16% live in jobless households, so I would surmise that we could be the worst. We also have the <a href="http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/money/2017/03/new-zealand-housing-most-unaffordable-in-the-world-the-economist.html">most expensive housing in the world</a> and a homelessness problem that has exploded in recent years. Between 2006 and 2013 <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&amp;objectid=11650103">homelessness grew by 25%</a> and involved 1% of the population and <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&amp;objectid=11700058">53% of our homeless were families with children</a>. Now that shortages have become<a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&amp;objectid=11835794"> increasingly pronounced </a>over the four years since then, I would suggest around 2% of the population is now homeless and many more are living in substandard housing. Third world diseases like rheumatic fever are now common place here, and <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&amp;objectid=11796244">are directly related to housing poverty</a>. New Zealand is clearly too afraid to provide relevant statistics to enable us to be ranked.&nbsp;</li><li><b>Teen Suicide (34/34)</b> We are the worst by a great margin. The median number of teen suicides per 1,000 for developed nations is around 7.5, while 15.5 of our 15-19 year olds take their own lives. This is a shocking indictment on the ability of families to support their teens and our <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/youth/news/article.cfm?c_id=107&amp;objectid=11735319">severely under-resourced mental health system</a>. I can imagine few developed countries that would <a href="http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1704/S00286/un-funded-report-another-reason-to-stop-locking-children-up.htm">lock struggling youth in adult prisons</a> because of a shortage of youth facilities. Those specialised youth facilities that do exist are run like <a href="http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2017/05/youth-residences-violent-bleak-and-prison-like-children-s-commission.html">prisons for hardened criminals</a>. Youth prisoners can be locked in their cells for 19 hours a day, which is classified as torture, is emotionally damaging and unlikely to support rehabilitation.</li><li><b>Jobless Households (35/37)</b>&nbsp;16% of our children live in households not supported by employment. Benefits have not kept up with inflation and many of these beneficiary families will be experiencing high levels of poverty. There are also those in real need <a href="http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/278454/thousands-losing-benefits-due-to-paperwork">who don't receive a benefit, despite entitlements</a>,&nbsp;because of bureaucratic difficulties and many are forced onto the street with no income at all.&nbsp;</li><li><b>Environmental Awareness (34/36) </b>The National Government forced National Standards in Education on schools, requiring a heavy emphasis on literacy and numeracy above all other learning areas. Consequently our 15 year olds have less understanding of the key environmental issues facing our planet then most other countries. <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/91956116/Serious-pressures-facing-rivers-Government-report-finds">Given that our waterways have become seriously degraded over the last ten years</a>, and we have the highest number of species facing extinction in the world, this is concerning. Only 49% knew something about at least five environmental issues, while the average in other countries was 62% (82% for Portugal). Keeping our young people ignorant of New Zealand's many environmental crises is a form of state control to reduce any scrutiny of our current policies. New Zealand has also been <a href="http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/278582/nz's-climate-change-target-condemned">globally ridiculed for its weak climate change targets</a>, we are little better than Trump.&nbsp;</li><li><b>Teenage Birth Rate (36/41)&nbsp;</b>We have&nbsp;one of the highest rates of teenage births (23.3 births out of every 1000). With increased alcohol consumption and binge drinking amongst young females we are also experiencing greater numbers of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. While it is hard to put an accurate figure on numbers it is estimated that between&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&amp;objectid=11454886">1 and 5 births in every 100 have FASD</a>&nbsp;and a large proportion is likely to come from younger mothers.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li><b>Inequity in Education (34/39)</b> We have one of the greatest disparities of educational achievement when related to socio-economic influences. Private and <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/8830344/Private-schools-snare-special-needs-cash">high decile schools capture significantly more funding</a> and resources per student than low decile schools.&nbsp;</li><li><b>Inclusive Economy (34/40)</b>&nbsp;The<a href="http://www.victoria.ac.nz/sacl/centres-and-institutes/cpf/publications/pdfs/2015/WP09_2014_Indicators-of-Inequality.pdf"> unemployment rate for Maori youth is almost 26%</a> (14% for non-Maori). <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/93170524/90000-young-kiwis-have-no-job-no-training-to-go-to">90,000 young people</a> in NZ have no training or job to go to. Despite what the government says about our economy, the jobs available in NZ are predominantly low waged and insecure compared to most other developed nations. We also have a youth rate where we employ young people at lower rates than adults who do the same job. We have a large number of casual, minimum waged jobs and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2016/12/new-zealand-employment-how-hard-kiwis-are-working.html">we also work amongst the longest hours</a>.&nbsp;</li><li><b>Homicide and Bullying (33/40)</b> We have the <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/91728517/kiwi-students-report-secondhighest-rate-of-bullying-in-international-study">second highest rates of bullying in the OECD</a>&nbsp;and concerning levels of youth committing violent crimes. Family violence is a massive issue in New Zealand and violence begets violence.&nbsp;</li><li><b>Child Murder (31/37)</b> the number of children in NZ who have been murdered is <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&amp;objectid=11607959">a national shame</a>. We have&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&amp;objectid=11674698">the worst levels of family violence in the developed world</a>&nbsp;but our violence counselling services are underfunded and our&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&amp;objectid=11829547">social worker numbers have been reduced</a>. The damning review of CYFs resulted in the development of a new Ministry, but unless it is properly resourced we risk repeating the same horrific mistakes. Domestic violence costs the country around $7 billion (<a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&amp;objectid=11634543">estimated around 525,000 harmed last year</a>) and the Government's injection of&nbsp;<a href="http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/324857/social-worker-shortage-leaving-children-at-risk,-say-lawyers">a paltry $347 million over four years will not even scratch the surface</a>&nbsp;nor pay for the social workers needed to do the work.&nbsp;</li><li><b>Neonatal Mortality Rate (28/36)&nbsp;</b>New Zealand used to have a world regarded Plunket system and many rural maternity hospitals to support mothers and babies. Over the last decade or so we have seen mothers&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/76040580/wellington-hospital-maternity-ward-cuts-bad-for-mothers-say-midwives">pushed out of maternity wards because of a lack of beds</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/92384684/concerns-for-future-of-lumsden-maternity-centre">rural hospitals closed.</a>&nbsp;Plunket&nbsp;<a href="http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2016/08/03/plunket-and-the-slow-strangulation-of-community-organisations/">struggles to offer the same level of service</a>&nbsp;as in the past.&nbsp;</li><li><b>Reducing Inequality (26/41) </b>New Zealand was once considered an egalitarian society but since the 1990s we have experienced the <a href="http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/261349/nz-gap-between-rich-and-poor-growing">highest increase in inequality in the developed world</a>. Our efforts to address this are well less than average. Norway, Iceland and Finland have been the most effective at addressing child poverty, there is no real reason why we couldn't follow their lead rather than following neoliberal policies being pursued by the US and UK (which clearly don't work).&nbsp;</li><li><b>Food Insecurity (21/41) </b>In the land of milk and honey, where we export more food than we can consume, a high percentage of our children go hungry or suffer from a poor diet. &nbsp;<a href="https://keithwoodford.wordpress.com/2014/04/02/why-is-new-zealands-retail-milk-so-expensive/">Milk is cheaper in the countries we export to</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.health.govt.nz/nz-health-statistics/health-statistics-and-data-sets/obesity-statistics">32% of our children are obese or overweight</a>, largely due to poor diets. This Government <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/1392206/Schools-healthy-food-rule-scrapped">removed the requirement for healthy food in schools</a>. Charities like <a href="https://www.kidscan.org.nz/?gclid=CPXmuMysyNQCFZsKKgodZiUC2Q">KidsCan have had to take on the Government's responsibilities</a> regarding providing food and basic necessities. KidsCan claims that almost 300,000 children live in hardship, 1 in 4 don't have the basics and 3,855 are missing out because the charity does not have the resources to meet demand.</li><li><b>Education Performance (15/38)</b>&nbsp;A decade ago our children's academic performance put us in the top 4 in the world,&nbsp;<a href="http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2014/03/the-destruction-of-new-zealands-public.html">we have now dropped to 15th</a>. 71.9% of our 15 year olds currently achieve baseline competency in reading, mathematics and science (Finland and Canada have over 80% achieving this). We have a long under-achieving tail and yet our <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&amp;objectid=11476238">special education support</a> is severely underfunded and our <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/92964580/Support-staff-in-schools-face-uncertain-future-due-to-lack-of-funding">school support staffing is under resourced.</a>&nbsp;</li></ul><div>The shift to the bottom of the world for our care of children and youth has been a steady process for at least three decades, as neoliberal policies have replaced the welfare state vision of the first Labour Government. The "<a href="http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2012/06/lessons-in-history.html">applied Christianity</a>" ethos of Michael Savage, and the idea of the Government leading a caring society, has been replaced by viewing the support for the vulnerable as a cost to be avoided and doing as little as possible. Under this National Government, over the last nine years, the word "crisis" is being increasingly used&nbsp;and most <a href="http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2013/06/crisis-management-governance-failing.html">could have been avoided with proper planning and investment</a>.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>The belief that more can be delivered with less and the use of narrow targets has created <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/90129722/burntout-mental-health-staff-raise-horrifying-concerns-about-conditions-at-christchurchs-hillmorton-hospital">an overworked, under qualified and stressed social service and medical workforce</a>. Consequently we have a rapidly growing prison population and facilities bursting at the seams. Prison staff are forced to resort to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/325622/corrections-breached-torture-conventions-ombudsman">long periods of lockdown and physical restraint</a> rather than running decent rehabilitation programmes. <a href="http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2017/05/fears-billion-dollar-prison-budget-will-blow-out-prisoner-numbers.html">Over a billion dollars is being spent on new prisons</a> and yet rehabilitation and the substandard housing and social pressures that contribute to offending have token amounts invested.<br /><br /></div><div>Our failing prisons, struggling hospitals and social services, extreme housing crisis and low wage economy is forcing more and more families into lifestyles and living conditions that are rapidly becoming third world. New Zealand should be the best country in the world to bring up children and youth. We have a relatively small population, abundant resources and were once a world leader in education, child health and family support. We are now ranked near the bottom because of poor governance, neoliberal austerity measures and a lack of compassion.<br /><br />We need a change of government and <a href="https://www.greens.org.nz/policy/social-policies">the strongest policies to address poverty</a> come from the Green Party. Party vote Green to ensure that there is a strong coalition partner for Labour and <a href="https://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2017/09/what-vote-will-deliver-change-we-need.html">real progressive change can be achieved</a>. The future of around 295,000 children, currently suffering in various degrees of poverty, is dependent on who we vote for over the coming week!<br /><br /></div>bsprouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12428353657153292616noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3612441315352179822.post-36299856503946677892017-06-07T00:32:00.000+12:002017-06-07T23:33:22.154+12:00New Zealand treats women badly<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-60b7dermIn0/WTacHm4wOvI/AAAAAAAAG_M/MAvrcWvsWaYJ8_a0HYF2f3gjljXy3Kz_wCLcB/s1600/1464936656207.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="620" height="180" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-60b7dermIn0/WTacHm4wOvI/AAAAAAAAG_M/MAvrcWvsWaYJ8_a0HYF2f3gjljXy3Kz_wCLcB/s320/1464936656207.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />New Zealand is no Saudi Arabia, women in New Zealand can drive and we were the first in the world to give women the vote. However, despite having had two female Prime Ministers and a history of women achieving high office, <a href="http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2012/04/rugby-discrimination-and-gender.html">we are hardly a society that can really celebrate true gender equity</a>.<br /><br />One of the reasons I decided not to stand as a candidate again was to give some of our talented women a better chance of success. New Zealand does not provide a level playing field in terms of gender and the one of the best ways of achieving that is ensuring that we have have more female legislators. So many excellent bills that would have helped women achieve greater equity and opportunities <a href="http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/307590/govt-again-vetoes-paid-parental-leave-bill">have been vetoed</a> and voted down because <a href="http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2015/03/its-mans-world-mind-gaps.html">our New Zealand Parliament is predominately male</a>. While I consider myself a feminist, women would be more effective advocates for themselves.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/snapshots-of-nz/nz-social-indicators/Home/Trust%20and%20participation%20in%20government/female-rep-parl-local-govt.aspx">Female representation at local, regional and central government level</a>&nbsp;has not improved for the last twenty years and, under a National Government, it has got worse. We now have over twice as many men in Parliament than women (69/31 currently, 66/34 in 2008). I am really pleased that the <a href="http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/331902/young-women-candidates-move-up-green-party-list">Green Party's current list will help address that imbalance</a>, especially if we can get a strong vote. Twelve of our top twenty are women, and seven of the top ten.<br /><br />If a Labour/Green Government is elected in September then the many appalling inequities can finally be properly addressed:<br /><ul><li>More useful data and research could be done to establish the <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/well-good/teach-me/92830610/the-reason-girls-are-getting-their-period-earlier">extent of early onset menstruation</a>. It appears more girls are having their first period while still at primary school. This is difficult enough for girls to deal with at such an early age, but <a href="http://103.14.3.1/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/201846444/primary-school-excludes-girl-with-period">many schools are ill-prepared</a> as well. There also needs to be more research on what is causing this trend.</li><li>When half our population is female, and managing periods is a fact of life for them, having&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/well-good/teach-me/82570247/period-costs-prohibitive-for-girls-as-new-donation-drive-launched">sanitary products priced prohibitively</a> for many is sexist and unnecessary. Stories of high school students resorting to using gym socks and teachers providing pads with their own money for students are real concerns.&nbsp;</li><li>Even with the success of <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/91659079/Historic-pay-increase-for-workers-in-female-dominated-industry">Kristine Bartlett's legal action</a> to end the pay discrimination for aged care workers, the Government has made roadblocks for other female dominated jobs to receive equitable pay. The care sector is only one of many that have been poorly treated for decades and <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/news/90137971/South-Canterbury-schools-voice-support-for-support-staff">school support staff</a> have also been battling unsuccessfully for the same recognition.</li><li>Low pay places immense pressure on women who are the majority of sole parents (around <a href="https://www.sialliance.health.nz/UserFiles/SouthIslandAlliance/File/PDFs/Determinants%20of%20Health%202014/4/2014%20Determinants%20of%20Health%20-%20Children%20in%20sole%20parent%20households.pdf">30% of our children are in sole parent families</a>). The <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff-nation/assignments/the-struggles-single-parents-face/12231464/Solo-mums-life-is-lonely-scary-sad">stories about the difficulties of being a sole mother abound</a>&nbsp;and the fact that many survive at all says more about their resilience then the system. Of course those who struggle are judged by many, who unfairly blame them for their circumstances.&nbsp;</li><li><a href="http://www.stats.govt.nz/Census/2013-census/profile-and-summary-reports/qstats-education-training-media-release.aspx">Despite 60% of those with post graduate qualifications</a> or honour degrees are women, most earn less than than men and are <a href="http://idealog.co.nz/workplace/2017/04/we-need-talk-about-lack-female-directors-new-zealand-companies">poorly represented in leadership roles</a>.&nbsp;</li><li>We still treat rape victims appallingly and most rapes go unreported because of this. The most recent example of this callous reality was a <a href="http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2017/06/anne-tolley-apologises-to-rape-victim-over-benefit-docking.html">rape victim having her benefit cut</a> because she refused to provide the name of the rapist who fathered her child. <a href="http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2014/04/changes_to_acc_and_sexual_abuse_victims.html">ACC support for rape victims</a> has been mixed and often inadequate.</li><li><a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/78420964/Government-agrees-to-overhaul-sexual-violence-support-services-at-budget">Rape Crisis centres have struggled</a> under this government, many have suffered cuts despite increases in demand. Recent funding increases are welcomed but still inadequate.&nbsp;</li><li>Male dominated New Zealand society does not see parenting as a valuable role and there is a perception that women can only be really productive when in paid employment. This has meant that <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/68750767/beneficiaries-must-seek-work-after-childs-third-birthday">beneficiaries are expected to return to the workforce</a> when their child is three years old but at the same time there has been <a href="http://nzei.org.nz/NZEI/Media/Releases/2017/06/United_call_from_early_childhood_sector_over_chronic_underfunding.aspx#.WTaPAxOGNQM">inadequate funding for early childhood education</a>.&nbsp;</li><li>Many early childhood education centres struggle to provide quality education and <a href="http://www.ero.govt.nz/publications/priorities-for-childrens-learning-in-early-childhood-services/conclusion/">ERO has identified serious shortcomings</a> in the majority. In 2012 only two-fifths had given any thought to how their curriculum would support Maori children and only one-fifth had given any regard to Pasifika children. Only 50% of early childhood teachers in a centre need to be qualified and the Government will only fund up to 80% of staff to be fully qualified.&nbsp;</li><li>In many communities the support for mothers is being cut back as DHBs and communities struggle to manage within inadequate funding. <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/92384684/concerns-for-future-of-lumsden-maternity-centre">Maternity centres in rural areas are closing</a>, risking the lives and welfare of young mothers and their babies.</li></ul><div>While Invercargill may be considered by some to be a bastion of conservatism,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/85126356/five-women-elected-to-invercargill-city-council">more new women were elected to the city council</a> than men and <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/92995587/budget-2017--invercargill-candidates-have-their-say">all the party candidates for the electorate are female</a>. The Deep South is leading the way.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>Let the election of 2017 be one for women and for real fairness and equity. I hope a few other men will feel able to relinquish some of their power to allow this to happen. Do it for your daughters and granddaughters.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div>bsprouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12428353657153292616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3612441315352179822.post-38698960263712294122017-06-01T12:09:00.001+12:002017-06-01T12:58:04.952+12:00Maggie Barry's Fake Facts!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PFeEw0T6t8k/WS9YuP_RgII/AAAAAAAAG-8/WJOTCXJLo20AQ0LxFeF3anvtqIXrnLvcACLcB/s1600/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="162" data-original-width="311" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PFeEw0T6t8k/WS9YuP_RgII/AAAAAAAAG-8/WJOTCXJLo20AQ0LxFeF3anvtqIXrnLvcACLcB/s1600/download.jpg" /></a></div><br />Metiria Turei challenged the National Government's woeful funding of the Department of Conservation and claimed that since 2008 there had been <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fY5B5l8JjY">a cut in real terms of $422 million dollars</a>. This concern was expressed in the context of Environment Commissioner Jan Wright's <a href="http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/332000/four-out-of-five-nz-bird-species-in-trouble">recent report</a> that stated that 80% of New Zealand's native bird species were in bad shape and 35% were in serious trouble (close to extinction). Some populations are so small that grandparents are forced to mate with grandchildren and inbreeding within many populations is a major concern.<br /><br />True to form, Maggie Barry resorted to a personal attack:<br /><br />"I guess because the member has never been anywhere near Government she doesn't understand very much about the budget process. The increase in spending in DoC is at $107 million dollars this year, it has been a 20% increase since 2008. The member's wilful misrepresentation of the figures is pretty pathetic, even by that member's standards."<br /><br />While it must be acknowledged that the Government is embarking on a <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/10262551/NZs-largest-pest-eradication-programme-launched">limited pest eradication programme</a>, this should be regarded in the context of cuts and severe underfunding over previous years. It is the Minister of Conservation who is misrepresenting the facts as Kevin Hague found out in 2016 through&nbsp;<a href="https://www.greens.org.nz/news/press-release/budget-cuts-continue-national%E2%80%99s-miserly-underfunding-doc">Parliamentary Library</a>&nbsp;research. <br /><br />The following can easily be found through simple Google searches:<br /><ul><li>2009, DoC had to <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&amp;objectid=10592780">cut its budget by $54 million</a>, or $13.5 million over four years. This meant almost 200,000 hectares of planned pest eradication did not go ahead.</li><li>2011,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&amp;objectid=10734300">one hundred jobs were cut</a> from the department to keep within the restricted budget.</li><li>2012-13,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/8459489/Job-losses-loom-at-Dept-of-Conservation">a further $11.5 million was cut</a> from the the department's funding, over and above the previous cuts.</li><li>2013, there were <a href="http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/131282/doc-cuts-140-jobs-to-meet-budget-target">140 more job losses </a>(330 since 2009, around 15% of the workforce).&nbsp;</li><li>2016, an associate professor in the school of accounting and commercial law at Victoria University noted that the Vote Conservation for the 16/17 year was <a href="http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/305139/doc-funding-cut-by-$40m-independent-expert">$41.8 million less than the previous year</a>.&nbsp;</li><li>2017, $21 million over 4 years for pest eradication and $76 million to spend on tourist infrastructure.&nbsp;</li></ul><div>Under a National Government the Department of Conservation's focus has shifted from the conservation of our natural environments and indigenous species for "posterity" to managing our conservation estate for "prosperity". The cumulative result of a much reduced workforce and having to cut back conservation programmes over nine years cannot be rectified by small increase at the end. Maggie Barry is crowing about the $107 million extra funding but the bulk of it will be spent on increasing tourism capacity in our conservation estate while the preservation of our indigenous species gets a paltry amount. To put this in perspective: there is $21 million over four years of new funding to save our endangered birds and in the same budget <a href="https://www.national.org.nz/budget_2017_303_9m_for_new_zealand_screen_grants">$303 million was set aside to support the film industry</a>, which often uses our natural environments for backdrops (and to attract more tourists).<br /><br />It is our wonderful natural capital that attracts tourists, but National has a long history of supporting unsustainable, extractive industries and has even <a href="http://www.newshub.co.nz/opinion/patrick-gower/opinion-is-simon-bridges-asleep-on-the-job-2014032009">opened up large conservation areas</a> for that to happen. Maggie Barry and her Government would rather invest in exploiting our conservation estate for quick profit than ensuring our unique indigenous species survive. The volume of tourist numbers is more important to the Government than the quality of their experience. New Zealand now has <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/2340766/Many-NZ-bird-species-at-risk">more extinct and endangered birds than any other country</a> and Maggie Barry has done little to change that.<br /><br />Shame!</div>bsprouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12428353657153292616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3612441315352179822.post-55778808899743597752017-05-28T00:40:00.000+12:002017-05-28T09:51:17.414+12:00Budget Blindness<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FWf0yD7_p1k/WSl0R_bR0CI/AAAAAAAAG-s/R6aVsGgAH-s4ULU9TXvehok5FxBGMLlFgCEw/s1600/joyce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="358" data-original-width="569" height="201" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FWf0yD7_p1k/WSl0R_bR0CI/AAAAAAAAG-s/R6aVsGgAH-s4ULU9TXvehok5FxBGMLlFgCEw/s320/joyce.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />One important thing that appears to be lacking in most budget commentaries, is real analysis or critique of the Government's overall vision or economic strategy. After almost nine years of controlling the purse strings, one would think that something would stand out as a planned outcome that had been well-articulated since 2008. Most commentators have just focused on the surface features of Steven Joyce's first effort; who gets what and the short-term political consequences. This approach just feeds the lolly scramble mentality and treats the budget as a moment in time rather than part of a bigger story.<br /><br />The bigger story in this case is that this National Government <a href="http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2016/04/national-fails-with-important-stuff.html">has never delivered</a>&nbsp;on the economic strategies it has&nbsp;promoted over its three terms in power. In 2008 it was mining and oil, to replicate the Australian economy of the time (never original thinkers); in 2011 it was the $11 billion motorway investment or the Roads of National Significance (RONS) that would rejuvenate the country; and in 2014 it was doubling of agricultural exports and leaping on the back of the dairy boom. At the same time that oil exploration and coal mining were being subsidised, roads receiving windfalls and intensified dairying enjoying irrigation investment - social services experienced funding restrictions and job losses (<a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&amp;objectid=10789478">delivering more for less?</a>).<br /><br />It frustrates me that National can deliberately misinform New Zealanders to create an impression of competence, and is rarely challenged. It has constantly used the Canterbury Earthquakes to help explain its borrowing and austerity measures and yet the $16.5 billion, that Brownlee claimed the recovery has cost the government, is a gross exaggeration. One estimate puts the real figure at only <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/business/the-rebuild/70084887/How-much-is-the-Government-really-spending-to-fix-Christchurch">around $2 billion</a>&nbsp;and more has been squandered on the RONS (that <a href="http://www.tvhe.co.nz/2013/09/10/costs-and-or-lack-of-benefits-of-transport-projects/">fail any rigorous cost/benefit analysis</a>). The Great Financial Crisis is also used as an excuse and yet while the odd investment company got caught out and South Canterbury Finance was bailed out, the real impact on New Zealand was minimal. Our Australian banks remained strong, <a href="http://media.nzherald.co.nz/webcontent/document/pdf/20126/PwC%20Banking%20Perspectives.pdf">returning huge profits</a>. In fact&nbsp;in 2009 they were f<a href="https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/four-banks-pay-22-billion-largest-ever-tax-settlement-116926">orced to pay $2.2 billion in back taxes</a>&nbsp;that would easily cover the SCF bailout of $1.7 billion.<br /><br />Then there is the story of New Zealand as the world's <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/84285895/Economists-hail-revival-of-rockstar-economy-as-strong-growth-continues">"Rock Star" economy</a>. It comes from an impression of economic growth based on volume, not value, and a massive property bubble. <a href="http://www.productivity.govt.nz/blog/how-does-nz%E2%80%99s-productivity-performance-stack-up">Productivity per person was actually relatively low</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;in 2013 New Zealanders worked 15% longer then the OECD average to produce 20% less. We are also regarded as a low wage economy. When the high dairy commodity prices crashed, and the Christchurch rebuild slowed, the Government was fortunate that high volume tourism and a huge growth in immigration continued to ensure ongoing economic activity. As we all know the infrastructure to support both is massively lacking.<br /><br />The recent surpluses that Bill English and Steven Joyce have managed to deliver are largely due to the underspending than good management. The collateral damage caused by successive years of austerity is being belatedly addressed in the form of election bribes. Of course English and Joyce are claiming that the money is only available because of their measured management and safe economic hands. Families who have been homeless for some time or had a loved one commit suicide because of struggling mental health services understand how the surplus was achieved.<br /><br />Few commentators look back at the journey and mismanagement that got us here and few will look at the long-term effects of the money promised. While the struggling poor will be grateful, the real windfalls will still go to landlords because of the increased accommodation supplement and employers paying minimum wages will continue to have their employment costs subsidised.<br /><br />The wealthy won't look too closely at <a href="http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1705/S00386/accommodation-supplement-increase-is-a-con-job.htm">continued wealth shift </a>under the new budget and the poor won't question the hand that drip feeds them...<b>Budget Blindness</b>!bsprouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12428353657153292616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3612441315352179822.post-1852543354772450502017-05-22T13:56:00.000+12:002017-05-22T20:02:52.564+12:00Be afraid of Trump's Presidency, not the man.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Oh0agcWYjaQ/WSJDh945SzI/AAAAAAAAG-Q/T2Ny5GD_-mASLCUPlVW_QCzQ-kyXGLH0QCLcB/s1600/C3BSsq9VEAAC-wZ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Oh0agcWYjaQ/WSJDh945SzI/AAAAAAAAG-Q/T2Ny5GD_-mASLCUPlVW_QCzQ-kyXGLH0QCLcB/s320/C3BSsq9VEAAC-wZ.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Donald Trump should not be underestimated. I am not referring to his intellect (which is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com.au/trump-typos-spelling-tweets-unpresidented-2017-4?r=US&amp;IR=T#/#unpresidented-1">over-rated</a>), but the damage he may do to the US and the World. It takes a small intellect and a huge ego to believe that major decisions can be made without advice and using gut feelings&nbsp;(that he calls <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/2016/12/12/trump-claims-he-doesnt-need-daily-intelligence-briefings-because-hes-a-smart-person.html">"being a smart person"</a>) and <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/04/donald-trump-americas-first-tv-president/521640/">Fox News</a> as a guide. While the United States Constitution <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powers_of_the_President_of_the_United_States">provides checks and balances to presidential power</a>, it appears that Trump's ignorance and arrogance is allowing him to override convention and law and do things many thought would not be possible. It is probable that much damage will be done before the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/18/us/politics/democrats-trump-impeachment.html">long process of impeachment</a> finally stops him.<br /><br />Trump clearly&nbsp;<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com.au/sean-spicer-trump-admire-totalitarian-leaders-2017-5?r=DE&amp;IR=T">admires totalitarian and authoritarian leaders</a>&nbsp;around the world and has openly stated his admiration for Putin, Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte, Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, Turkish&nbsp;<a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/recep-tayyip-erdogan-video-guards-kurdish-protesters-fight-washington-dc-us-turkey-visit-president-a7744986.html">President Recep Tayyip Erdogan</a>&nbsp;and he even said that he "would be honoured" to meet the North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. Trump has an empathy for their leadership style and he consequently had real difficulty creating a meaningful relationship with&nbsp;<a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-angela-merkel-shake-hand-refuse-a7635911.html">German Chancellor Angela Merkel</a>, who is everything he isn't: smart, diplomatically astute and female. <br /><br />Donald Trump <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/07/09/ths-many-ways-in-which-donald-trump-was-once-a-liberals-liberal/?utm_term=.2738ed5ed0f5">once supported the Democrats</a>, and more liberal ideologies, but shifted his viewpoints to capture the support of the US conservative heartland. He has no real moral compass or strongly held philosophy &nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/newsandguts/videos/239300226474953/">"being the President"</a>&nbsp;is all he wants, and adulation is what he craves. Trump had promised to "drain the swamp" and instead has dragged up those who lived at the bottom and <a href="http://time.com/donald-trump-drain-swamp/">appointed them to key positions</a>. His cabinet is the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/us/politics/donald-trump-administration.html">most wealthy, white and male dominated</a> since Ronald Reagan and many hold extreme conservative views. What makes Trump especially dangerous is the fact that he is happy to give his swamp dwellers free rein to do as they wish and implement their own conservative agendas.<br /><br />Those who have compared the US President with&nbsp;<a href="http://www.popten.net/2010/05/top-ten-most-evil-dictators-of-all-time-in-order-of-kill-count/">tyrants of the past</a>&nbsp;have been ridiculed as overly excitable and conspiracy theorists. I don't think that such comparisons should be rejected so readily. While Trump is failing to push through his key campaign platforms (<a href="http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/muslim-ban-flops-again-team-trump-its-own-worst-enemy">banning Muslims</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/12/trumps-wall-is-morphing-into-a-series-of-fences.html">building a wall</a>&nbsp;along the Mexican Border and replacing&nbsp;<a href="http://www.cnbc.com/2017/03/27/trump-spokesman-were-not-saying-its-the-end-of-health-care-effort.html">"Obama Care"</a>),&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Far-right_politics">hard right agendas</a>&nbsp;are still being instigated by those he has devolved power to. The consequences of current budget decisions and policy direction will be mass human and environmental suffering:<br /><ul><li>The Fourth Estate will become less able to hold Trump to account as the <a href="http://fortune.com/2017/05/18/trump-spicer-press/">President's attacks on honest reporting</a> encourages the growth of actual fake news. The public will become desensitised as shock stories become commonplace and truth becomes blurred. This will further divide US society as people shift away from conventional sources to less ethical outliers that support their world view. Truth will be lost in a media free for all.</li><li>The US will become a more violent society. Already the United States has the <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-34996604">highest rates of gun violence</a> in the western world and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/28/us/politics/donald-trump-nra.html">Trump's support of the NRA</a> opens the door for higher rates of gun ownership. Attorney General, Geoff Sessions, <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/5/4/15537952/jeff-sessions-police-justice-department-trump">supports hardline policing and less scrutiny of police behaviour</a>. The efforts to deal with the racial profiling and gun happy policing will be forgotten. Marginalised groups will be further marginalised and miscarriages of justice and unrest will likely increase. &nbsp;</li><li>While Trump has struggled with replacing Obama Care there is no doubt that <a href="http://www.latimes.com/politics/washington/la-na-essential-washington-updates-trump-budget-envisions-big-cuts-for-1489664310-htmlstory.html">health funding will be cut back</a> and millions will suffer.&nbsp;</li><li>Secretary of Education, Betsy Devos supports<a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bs-ed-devos-agenda-20170326-story.html"> privatising education </a>and conservative Christian views. It is likely that there will be a growth of Charter Schools and non secular education, schooling standards will drop and inequities will grow.</li><li>The environment is under siege. Trump has appointed <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/scott-pruitt-epa-senate-confirms-climate-change-denier-donald-trump-cabinet-a7586546.html">a climate change skeptic to lead the EPA</a>&nbsp;and it is likely that the environment will take a back seat under his leadership. Environmentally damaging <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-pipeline-idUSKBN15820N">oil pipelines will be progressed</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2017/apr/12/donald-trump-coal-mining-renewable-energy">coal mining</a> is being encouraged again. The ability to deal with the threat of climate change and build on the <a href="http://www.cosmopolitan.com/politics/a9659229/paris-climate-agreement-trump/">Paris Accord</a>&nbsp;will be so much harder with Trump leading one of the most influential and largest polluters. The whole world is at risk if appropriate action doesn't occur in a timely fashion.</li><li>Millions of people around the world who are reliant on US humanitarian aid <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/apr/10/donald-trump-un-cuts-federal-budget-humanitarian-aid">will suffer under Trump.</a> Cutting the funding of contraception is the one of the most concerning and millions of <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2017/04/04/outcry-trump-slashes-funding-worlds-most-vulnerable-mothers-and-newborns">women and children will be put at risk</a>&nbsp;because of this change in direction and the management of population growth will become compromised. Trump also proposes to <a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/03/trump-budget-cuts-foreign-aid-170316233601387.html">cut in half the support for UN programmes</a> in areas such as peacekeeping and vaccinations. This will effectively reduce the overall budgets by around 1/5 and again result in unnecessary suffering for millions around the world.</li><li><a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2017/03/16/politics/donald-trump-defense-budget-blueprint/">Increased militarisation under Trump</a> will make the world a more dangerous place as this indicates a shift away from diplomacy to favour military threats and solutions instead. A proposed $54 billion increase will boost spending to over one trillion dollars for 2018. Trump's military posturing and threats of a pre-emptive strike has already forced North Korea into dangerous defensive behaviour and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/11/world/asia/south-korea-north-military-strike.html">South Koreans are feeling very vulnerable</a>. US military support of Saudi Arabia is also a huge cause of concern. Trump has agreed to <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/2017/05/20/us-saudi-arabia-seal-weapons-deal-worth-nearly-110-billion-as-trump-begins-visit.html">a staggering $350 billion arms deal</a> to an Arab nation that has a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Saudi_Arabia">shocking humanitarian record</a>&nbsp;of beheadings and slavery. The military atrocities being <a href="http://www.globalresearch.ca/trump-saudi-arabia-and-the-war-on-yemen/5584292">instigated by the Saudis in Yemen</a> and elsewhere are likely to increase dramatically under Trump.&nbsp;</li></ul><div>Trump's rise to power was enabled by a dysfunctional political system that has been increasingly corrupted by money and special interests. Real democracy has been compromised and a presidential candidate who did not win the popular vote is now in power. At this point a <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-approval-rating-plunged-republicans-flee-president-amid-russia-612979">Reuters/Ipsos survey</a> has Trumps approval rating at 38% and 23% of Republicans don't support him. This is no mandate for his policies and governance and yet he continues to radically change the political direction of the United States.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>Trump is an egotistical buffoon and cannot be compared to the likes of Stalin or Hitler for his cunning or intelligence, however, his access to military power and ability to determine funding priorities makes him just as dangerous. Global suffering under Trump's Presidency has the potential to be just as horrific. We should be afraid. &nbsp;&nbsp;</div>bsprouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12428353657153292616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3612441315352179822.post-69168104187689031772017-05-19T18:57:00.001+12:002017-05-20T00:37:07.718+12:00National's damaged waka and steroid addiction<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hLUuY8SPPHU/WR6Sw67hMoI/AAAAAAAAG8c/TlDUn53CjOAG88SAaE4U7VL0GIJNaPxCgCLcB/s1600/video-undefined-2165404F00000578-229_636x358.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hLUuY8SPPHU/WR6Sw67hMoI/AAAAAAAAG8c/TlDUn53CjOAG88SAaE4U7VL0GIJNaPxCgCLcB/s320/video-undefined-2165404F00000578-229_636x358.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />The National Party had a glorious win against all odds in 2014. Despite <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirty_Politics">Dirty Politics</a>,</i>&nbsp;and the exposure of their dubious underbelly, they ran a smart campaign. The <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=470bdH73TUY">image of National's rowing eight</a> pulling ahead of a disorganised tub full of opposition parties (paddling furiously in different directions) was powerful. The advertisement was backed with the driving beat of some very familiar contemporary music.<br /><br />It is ironic that the flash video actually represents the reality of National's governance (mostly smoke and mirrors): the rowers are all on steroids, the boat's maintenance has been underfunded and we all know about the lack of&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&amp;objectid=11848060">due diligence in obtaining the outsourced music</a>&nbsp;(<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e25YmpQiEEY">pretty legal</a> isn't good enough).<br /><br />National's economy is on steroids, the regular injections of property investments, farm fertiliser and immigrants may artificially lift performance, but <a href="http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/money/2017/03/new-zealand-housing-most-unaffordable-in-the-world-the-economist.html">the side-effects are becoming obvious</a> and a <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/91956116/Serious-pressures-facing-rivers-Government-report-finds">physical collapse is looming</a>. This is not a sustainable programme for a race that is actually an ultra-marathon, not a sprint.<br /><br />The National Government has been spending most of our money on corporate boxes and a few elite athletes. It has ignored investing in the grassroots and the next generation. If we continued with the rowing analogy, then the river (the economy) is becoming clogged with pollution and weed and the rowers would struggle with the changing conditions of flood or drought. Although the waka is designed for eight, a shortage of boats will mean that they will have to squeeze in extra people.<br /><br />On the other hand, Labour and the Greens have agreed to co-operate and are rowing in the same direction. Both parties have <a href="http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2017/04/green-list-provides-diversity-and.html">high performing athletes</a> who are steroid free and well prepared. Natural foods rather than <a href="http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2017/04/bill-english-s-pineapple-spaghetti-pizza-offends-new-zealand.html">tinned spaghetti</a> will fuel the team and <a href="http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2017/05/bill-english-shows-off-walk-run-in-new-facebook-video.html">running uphill</a> is part of the training. Unlike National we have a number of<a href="http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2017/04/greens-unite-celebs-and-kiwis-in-fresh-campaign-video.html"> talented locals</a> who are more than ready to provide the backing music for a strong campaign and a brighter future.<br /><br />Roll on September!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />bsprouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12428353657153292616noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3612441315352179822.post-74495584963356442542017-05-09T00:59:00.000+12:002017-05-09T01:10:11.858+12:00Fretting Fantails Protest Pruning!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-s_buj8n4krg/WRBIApIT0YI/AAAAAAAAG7Y/B6kydB_Y5xYyc--ynS_NNcTahV-TCbaCwCLcB/s1600/IMG_2789.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-s_buj8n4krg/WRBIApIT0YI/AAAAAAAAG7Y/B6kydB_Y5xYyc--ynS_NNcTahV-TCbaCwCLcB/s320/IMG_2789.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><br /><a href="http://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/birds/birds-a-z/fantail-piwakawaka/">Fantails</a>&nbsp;(piwakawaka) are reasonably common in my Invercargill garden and our bush backed Catlins' retreat. In our usual brief encounters they flutter around me, chirping a quick greeting, but something quite different occurred recently that was a little disturbing.<br /><br />Although I have planted more trees than I have felled, and enjoy being surrounded by native plants, some growth becomes problematic and pruning becomes a necessity. A large non-native <a href="http://naturewatch.org.nz/taxa/82689-Arbutus-unedo">strawberry tree</a>&nbsp;had grown substantially over the years on our Invercargill property and was hanging over our greenhouse, blocking early morning sun, and dropped copious amounts of berries in Autumn. I finally removed some large branches with a pruning saw which brought more light into the garden, allowing the natives underneath to thrive and also provided some useful firewood.<br /><br />While sawing through the branches and piling them up for further processing, a fantail appeared. Rather than a quick hello it flitted around me, often within an arm's reach, <a href="http://www.doc.govt.nz/Documents/conservation/native-animals/birds/bird-song/fantail-10.mp3">chattering incessantly</a>. It actually felt as if I was being scolded for removing large parts of the tree. I am regularly trimming the hedges that surround our property and have never experienced anything similar.<br /><br />A couple of weeks later I finally decided to remove a good part of a large healthy pittosporum that was hanging over our Catlin's cottage roof. It was a lovely tree but its leaves fell into the spouting that provided our water supply and its flowers decomposed into a smelly mush that tainted the water. After flowering I was having to flush the tank and loose a considerable quantity of water just before Summer when we needed it the most. The tree had to be pruned and last Saturday I attacked it with a a reluctant vengeance after delaying the inevitable for some time.<br /><br />As the first branch dropped a fantail appeared and I experienced the same scolding I received in Invercargill. The bird flew around my face and sat on close branches emitting the same intense fantail diatribe that could hardly be construed as friendly. On the following Sunday morning as I stripped the branches of twigs and leaves to turn the larger pieces into firewood, two fantails appeared. They continuously flitted around the felled foliage while expressing their dismay at the carnage to their habitat.<br /><br />Fantails are insect eaters and they follow walkers on bush tracks because their movement creates feeding opportunities. What appears to be friendliness is actually opportunism. Perhaps I am overly sensitive because of my reluctance to cut back a healthy plant but the behaviour I experienced from these tiny birds couldn't be easily explained as feeding or defending territory.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Despite their attractive appearance and dancing flight, Maori regard fantails as <a href="http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/nga-manu-birds/page-2">harbingers of death</a>&nbsp;if they enter a house.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bVNVoj9NFQM/WRBqry6PrKI/AAAAAAAAG7o/B9kSSXlRIB0wJV05JuTN-3X6lQch6hNnQCEw/s1600/IMG_2672.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bVNVoj9NFQM/WRBqry6PrKI/AAAAAAAAG7o/B9kSSXlRIB0wJV05JuTN-3X6lQch6hNnQCEw/s320/IMG_2672.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hfRO-3CIyNc/WRBqsFMUQ4I/AAAAAAAAG7w/Ds0uwE8gZPIqsJMrYucULGn02AwVsRW9QCLcB/s1600/IMG_2671.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hfRO-3CIyNc/WRBqsFMUQ4I/AAAAAAAAG7w/Ds0uwE8gZPIqsJMrYucULGn02AwVsRW9QCLcB/s320/IMG_2671.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q1kZEph5-ic/WRBrSGvqx9I/AAAAAAAAG8A/YClFPgggAXAQfsNTnKMUrTmXOX0JurqwQCLcB/s1600/IMG_2670.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q1kZEph5-ic/WRBrSGvqx9I/AAAAAAAAG8A/YClFPgggAXAQfsNTnKMUrTmXOX0JurqwQCLcB/s320/IMG_2670.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B_m_NTp7wcg/WRBqsPBoVxI/AAAAAAAAG7s/7r7AtBnXpS0DsoiKXgcuNwg7TKhHV2AGwCLcB/s1600/IMG_2681%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B_m_NTp7wcg/WRBqsPBoVxI/AAAAAAAAG7s/7r7AtBnXpS0DsoiKXgcuNwg7TKhHV2AGwCLcB/s320/IMG_2681%2B2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vkH9zpDz7_Y/WRBqsuMxYzI/AAAAAAAAG70/S85WJkIa3nMBUZn9Wy2wVzrl1JBKrOJhQCLcB/s1600/IMG_2786.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vkH9zpDz7_Y/WRBqsuMxYzI/AAAAAAAAG70/S85WJkIa3nMBUZn9Wy2wVzrl1JBKrOJhQCLcB/s320/IMG_2786.jpg" width="230" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VBjThdFYzK4/WRBqtmOofQI/AAAAAAAAG74/dZSlZbHTU4Uquv64RmDN53PUP6_GnRQxQCLcB/s1600/IMG_2794.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VBjThdFYzK4/WRBqtmOofQI/AAAAAAAAG74/dZSlZbHTU4Uquv64RmDN53PUP6_GnRQxQCLcB/s320/IMG_2794.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><br /><br />bsprouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12428353657153292616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3612441315352179822.post-71061648388558671412017-04-28T01:04:00.002+12:002017-04-29T11:38:22.728+12:00Post Truth delivers Dumb and Dumber <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZrZj-zmyW7k/WQHomKGKXqI/AAAAAAAAG7I/HqATl2fCBfEN-1G6tVKYSz3HyQilCoKhACLcB/s1600/%2526NCS_modified%253D20160225134858%2526MaxW%253D640%2526imageVersion%253Ddefault%2526AR-160229311.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZrZj-zmyW7k/WQHomKGKXqI/AAAAAAAAG7I/HqATl2fCBfEN-1G6tVKYSz3HyQilCoKhACLcB/s320/%2526NCS_modified%253D20160225134858%2526MaxW%253D640%2526imageVersion%253Ddefault%2526AR-160229311.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Few planets support life and the Earth is actually a unique and fragile entity that took over&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_the_Earth">4.5 billion years</a>&nbsp;to reach its current form. The ecosystems that support life and determine the health and sustainability of our world are dependent on complex inter-relationships. <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news2/interactives/2degrees/">One small change</a> to the balance of these relationships can have catastrophic consequences.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.universetoday.com/38125/how-long-have-humans-been-on-earth/">Modern humans</a> have existed for 200,000 years and the last 200 have seen global industrialisation and massively growing consumption and competition for the world's natural resources. It took 700 years for the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_population">human population</a> to grow from 370 million to 1.5 billion, but less than 100 years to explode to 7.5 billion.<br /><br />We are living on a finite planet with an exploding population of human animals who are increasingly demanding a greater share of the remaining resources. Our activity and consumption has caused much of <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/03/23/deforestation-where-is-the-world-losing-the-most-trees/">our forests to disappear</a>, 1.3 million square kilometres since 1990 (or an area larger than South Africa). We are currently experiencing <a href="http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/biodiversity/elements_of_biodiversity/extinction_crisis/">a mass extinction of species</a> with dozens disappearing every day because of human causes (1-5 are lost a year through natural causes).<br /><br />Our dependence on fossil fuels to drive our global economy is affecting our atmosphere and having a severe impact on the world's climate. What were once 100 year extreme weather events, now occur every 5-10 years. The severe storms, the floods and the droughts are&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/8405004/North-Island-drought-worst-in-history">regularly destroying important infrastructure and food production</a>. If the&nbsp;<a href="https://climate.nasa.gov/effects/">current trends in climate change</a>&nbsp;and sea level rise continue, many of the places where populations are currently concentrated will become uninhabitable in our children's lifetime.<br /><br />We have minimal time to turn around the human juggernaut carrying us to the brink of extinction. We need to elect the best possible world leaders who can then use their superior knowledge and diplomacy to lead us in the right direction. The measures of economic success need to have environmental sustainability at their core and we will need a massive investment into the science and technology that will shift us from our current dependence on fossil fuel and unsustainable systems of food production. This leadership has to come from the <a href="http://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/022415/worlds-top-10-economies.asp">world's dominant economies</a>.<br /><br />Sadly, this <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-truth_politics">post truth era </a>is ensuring that the leaders of our most powerful democracies are populist rather than prophetic. Our future is being determined by people like <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/maryanngeorgantopoulos/president-trump-lie-list?utm_term=.amk2r392D#.sk5kPqQkX">Trump</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jul/19/boris-johnson-grilled-past-outright-lies-uneasy-press-conference-john-kerry">Boris</a> who rely on ideological whim and "alternative facts" as a basis for major decisions. At the same time scientists are being&nbsp;<a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/trump-administration-seeks-big-budget-cuts-for-climate-research/">under-resourced</a> and <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2017/1/24/14372940/trump-gag-order-epa-environmental-protection-agency-health-agriculture">silenced</a>.<br /><br />Watching the news each night is like watching a sequel for <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmNddThxi4c">Dumb and Dumber</a>&nbsp;and, like the movie, it isn't very funny.<br /><br /><br />bsprouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12428353657153292616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3612441315352179822.post-5827077695426441522017-04-11T12:44:00.000+12:002017-04-11T21:58:25.197+12:00Bill English cares deeply about his books<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7lpxpEctf5c/WOwl1oZPXCI/AAAAAAAAG64/YCFlcUmwARY0Miq1izlmtT1-PgwXTdFDgCLcB/s1600/CunOFKQVYAAs6j2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7lpxpEctf5c/WOwl1oZPXCI/AAAAAAAAG64/YCFlcUmwARY0Miq1izlmtT1-PgwXTdFDgCLcB/s320/CunOFKQVYAAs6j2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Prime Minister Bill English majored in English Literature and this background has taught him the importance of caring for books. Under his stewardship as Treasurer, and now Prime Minister, <a href="http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/315560/government-surplus-swells-to-$1-point-8b">the Government's books having never been in better shape</a>. Bill has instructed and guided all Ministers about the proper care of their books and much effort and staffing has been put into dusting and polishing their books and making sure they are neatly arranged. <br /><br />While there has been much demand on the Government and its Ministers to open their books and be a little more generous in their use, strong discipline has been needed to ensure that the books remain firmly on the shelves. Open books and dog-eared pages are an anathema to Bill and when his footsteps are heard around the beehive corridors there is a flurry of activity as books are hurriedly closed and shelved.<br /><br />This focus on book-keeping has meant necessary sacrifices have had to be made:<br /><ul><li>Police <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/91419691/fraud-and-abuse-cases-gathering-dust-family-violence-reports-soaring-why-police-pushed-for-more-numbers">numbers have been kept at a minimum</a>&nbsp;despite rising crime and dropping resolution rates.&nbsp;</li><li><a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/67120653/schools-struggle-with-special-needs-funding-squeeze">Special needs funding for schools</a>&nbsp;has been reduced and <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/national/90617334/Teachers-more-valued-than-support-staff-say-workers">Teacher Aids are maintained on a minimum wage</a>&nbsp;while the numbers of children with high needs grows.</li><li><a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&amp;objectid=11829547">Social worker numbers have been reduced</a> over time despite the <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&amp;objectid=11504565">damning review of CYFs</a> and <a href="http://www.occ.org.nz/publications/media-releases/">concerns from successive Children's Commissioners.</a>&nbsp;</li><li><a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/82526332/Hundreds-of-state-and-council-homes-north-of-Wellington-up-for-sale">State houses continue to be sold off </a>despite increasing homelessness and <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/91434124/more-kiwis-to-sleep-in-cars-this-winter-hit-by-lack-of-cheap-accommodation">old motels have become a cheaper accommodation alternative</a>.&nbsp;</li><li>Ignoring climate change and our Paris Commitments and <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/editorials/90772280/editorial-new-zealand-needs-a-climate-change-plan">not having a proper plan</a> has saved millions in the short term.</li><li><a href="https://nzfvc.org.nz/news/msd-require-individual-client-level-data-community-agencies">Demanding data sharing </a>from NGO service providers (causing them to withdraw from government funding) and <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&amp;objectid=11833333">capping support </a>has helped reduce the cost of services immensely. &nbsp;</li><li>Cutting DoCs budget and <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/news/8471162/DOC-volunteers-stretched">shifting to a volunteer workforce</a> has <a href="http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1605/S00563/budget-cuts-continue-nationals-miserly-underfunding-of-doc.htm">saved hundreds of millions</a>.</li><li><a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/90131559/health-workers-patients-protest-chronic-health-underfunding">Ongoing underfunding of the health system</a> has saved almost $2 billion.&nbsp;</li></ul><div>Bill English celebrated his success at keeping the books in good shape and achieving an incredible $1.8 billion budget surplus by eating a pie, it would be out of character to spend anything more to recognise this achievement.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>I guess all of us should feel a level of pride in contributing to what may be the best looking government books in the world. By sleeping in a car, waiting a few years for a hip replacement or eye surgery and suffering the occasional flood or home invasion we have collectively supported Bill's dream. He will go down in history as one of New Zealand's best bookkeepers.&nbsp;</div>bsprouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12428353657153292616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3612441315352179822.post-8903791517788145102017-04-03T17:45:00.000+12:002017-04-05T12:06:13.436+12:00Green List provides diversity and credible experience <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WT0dXq3xRq0/WOHgBQIJugI/AAAAAAAAG6o/YloxBGxOPDcXfCpODMVSpto1_liuWdq_gCLcB/s1600/our-people-banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="107" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WT0dXq3xRq0/WOHgBQIJugI/AAAAAAAAG6o/YloxBGxOPDcXfCpODMVSpto1_liuWdq_gCLcB/s320/our-people-banner.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />The Green Party's list ranking is an ordeal for both candidates and members, having to rank such a talented group (especially when many are friends), isn't easy. For a party that promotes cooperation and consensus decision making, the process is one of the few within the party that has to be competitive and one where secret ballots are used for voting.<br /><br />There are also some guidelines applied to ensure that the list reflects the diversity in our society to provide the broadest representation and have connections to a variety of cultures and demographics: For every ten candidates at least one should be Maori and at least one should be under 35 years; for every five candidates at least two should be male and at least two should be female, at least one should be from the South Island and at least two from the North Island.<br /><br />The initial list (created by the delegates and candidates who attended the Greens' Candidate Conference in February) has just been released and the final list will involve voting from all members.<br /><br />I am very comfortable with the initial list, a high level of diversity has been achieved and we have enormous talent throughout. If we applied a very conservative outcome for the election and look at the top 15 as likely MPs (due to resignations our 17th ranked candidate from 2014 is now an MP) it is quite revealing. Nine (almost 2/3) are female and four are Maori. Youth is well represented, with two in their early twenties, and we have two over sixty (the average is 44.5 years). There is also a good mix of experience: eleven are current MPs and four have served more than two terms. Metiria Turei has been a party leader longer than Bill English or Andrew Little.<br /><br />Those on the right of the political spectrum rate business and economic management as the most important skills in government and those on the left value those with a passion for social justice and the environment. Understanding legislative complexities and legal constraints are also an important requirements for parties wishing to sit on the government benches. When New Zealand is reliant on primary production for a good deal of its income, an appreciation of the farming and forestry sectors would also be valuable. All of these are covered in this interim list.<br /><br />To be effective in government it is important to be able to understand complex information and appreciate the contextual complexities. While communicating coherently and effectively with the wider public and the media is important, the work behind the scenes in select committees ensures that any legislation gets the scrutiny it needs. An MP is a waste of space if it takes them three years to understand the job and ignorance is not a virtue. To be able to safely and effectively change laws or economic systems MPs have to understand how existing legislation and systems work.<br /><br />The media has made much of the need for renewal and some commentators have questioned the support of candidates in their early 20s. I find it unhelpful when assessments are made just based on age or length of time an MP has been in parliament, surely the most important criteria would be their ability to do the job. I can think of many <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marilyn_Waring">young MPs who have had amazing wisdom</a> and many well into their sixties (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winston_Peters">or even seventies</a>) who have great energy and are highly effective.<br /><br />It is also far easier to have credibility and gain the confidence of different communities (business, cultural and socio-economic) when MPs have some direct experiences and qualifications, and can speak the same language. The Greens' top 20 should surprise those who still hold on to the myth of the Green Party being led by unqualified idealogues:<br /><ol><li><b>Metiria Turei</b>, LLB; Corporate Lawyer for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simpson_Grierson">Simpson and Grierson</a></li><li><b>James Shaw</b>, MSc, Bath University School of Management; business consultant for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PricewaterhouseCoopers">PricewaterhouseCoopers </a>and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HSBC">HSBC Bank</a></li><li><b>Julie Anne Genter</b>, Master of Planning Practice (1st class); <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transportation_planning">transport and urban planning</a> consultant in Australia and NZ</li><li><b>Marama Davidson</b>,<b>&nbsp;</b>BA; Human Rights Commission and member of <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/8872832/Davidson-to-stay-with-Glenn-inquiry">Owen Glenn Inquiry</a> on child abuse and domestic violence</li><li><b>Eugenie Sage</b>, LLB, BA, Diploma of Journalism; Field Officer and Spokesperson <a href="http://www.forestandbird.org.nz/defendnature?gclid=CLbb44uah9MCFQGbvQodiCEJmQ">Forest &amp; Bird</a>, Environment Canterbury Councillor.&nbsp;</li><li><b>Jan Logie</b>, BA, <a href="https://www.languages.ac.nz/teacher-training/celta-course/">CELTA</a>; Women's Refuge, Youth Health, YWCA, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_Centre_for_Sustainable_Cities">NZ Centre for Sustainable Cities</a></li><li><b>Gareth Hughes</b>, BA Religious Studies &amp; History, Grad Diploma Politics; <a href="http://www.greenpeace.org/new-zealand/en/">Greenpeace </a>campaign coordinator</li><li><b>Mojo Mathers</b>, Honours degree in mathematics, Masters with distinction in Conservation Forestry; Joint owner of business providing <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest_management">forestry management services</a>, senior policy advisor&nbsp;</li><li><b>Jack McDonald,</b> Undergraduate Political Science and Maori Studies; Maori Political &amp; Media Advisor (Parliament), former chair of a community board, <a href="http://thewireless.co.nz/themes/election/the-next-wave-jack-mcdonald-of-the-greens">third time candidate</a>&nbsp;at 23 years old</li><li><b>Barry Coates</b>, Masters in Management; <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxfam">CEO Oxfam NZ</a>, developed a sustainability programme at the University of Auckland and <a href="http://sustainable.org.nz/awards/2016-nzi-sustainable-business-network-awards-winners/">Sustainable Business Network award winner</a>.&nbsp;</li><li><b>Kennedy Graham</b>, BCom, MA in International Relations, PhD, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fulbright_Program">Fulbright Scholar</a>; NZ diplomat, Senior consultant in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Department_of_Political_Affairs">UN Dept of Political Affairs</a>, Visiting Prof (Bruges, Belgium), Senior Lecturer Victoria University...</li><li><b>John Hart</b>, BSc Psycology &amp; Statistics (incomplete); sheep &amp; beef farmer, IT services, &nbsp;<a href="http://www.farmgeek.co.nz/media-inventor-award-finalist/">inventor</a></li><li><b>Chloe Swarbuck</b>, BA, LLB; Community project leader, journalist, small business owner, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chl%C3%B6e_Swarbrick">Auckland Mayoral Candidate</a></li><li><b>Denise Roche</b>, Diploma Labour Studies, Graduate Diploma in Not-For-profit Management; Union worker, <a href="http://tvnz.co.nz/content/1208708/2527715/article.html">Partner Orapiu Grove Farm</a>, waste management, Auckland City Councillor, <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/oddstuff/87636023/quote-of-the-year-2016-mps-witty-comeback-to-homophobic-slurs">2016 Quote of the Year Winner</a></li><li><b>Golriz Ghahraman</b>, Masters in International Human Rights Law; <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&amp;objectid=11783638">Human rights and criminal lawyer</a>, Prosecutor United Nations tribunals</li><li><b>David Clendon</b>, BA Politics &amp; Education, MSc; Business management (including own bulk foods business), Unitec lecturer in sustainable management, <a href="http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2013/04/david-clendon-and-smart-business.html">sustainable business advisor</a></li><li><b>Teanau Tuiono</b>, BA, LLB; Publisher in education sector,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.teanautuiono.com/">climate change and human rights advocacy</a> (nationally and internationally)&nbsp;</li><li><b>Leilani Tamu</b>, Master of Arts (1st class), Fulbright Scholar; <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Art-Excavation-Leilani-Tamu-ebook/dp/B00MKRL4A6">Published author</a>, New Zealand Diplomat, Advisor for the Auckland city Council&nbsp;</li><li><b>Teall Crossan</b>, Bachelor's Degree in Resource Studies, Master's in International Environmental Law (Calgary); <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/89268635/i-couldnt-work-for-mccully-any-longer-greens-add-three-more-highprofile-names-to-books">Legal Advisor and Climate Change Negotiator </a>for Pasific Small Island Developing States, Senior Solicitor for DoC</li><li><b>Chris Perley</b>, Dip Grad Philosophy, Fellow NZ Institute of Forestry; Senior Policy Analyst Ministry of Forestry, Editor of a professional Journal,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503462&amp;objectid=11591746">land management</a>, forestry consultant, <a href="https://chrisperleyblog.wordpress.com/about/">blogger</a></li></ol><div>The next 10-20 names have equally impressive resumes: a constitutional lawyer, youth advocate, chartered accountant, public sector consultant, community development and urban regeneration leadership, TV presenter, army officer and emergency management planner, screen production...</div><div><br /></div><br />bsprouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12428353657153292616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3612441315352179822.post-30398290935990368432017-03-28T17:27:00.001+13:002017-03-30T08:52:26.363+13:00Labour/Green budget rules make sense<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iSauuXpYDrw/WNm5Wc67G_I/AAAAAAAAG6Y/hyK3iiZUteQP4UupWEEyGSRtFvatUePqwCLcB/s1600/james-shaw-grant-robertson-600x373.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iSauuXpYDrw/WNm5Wc67G_I/AAAAAAAAG6Y/hyK3iiZUteQP4UupWEEyGSRtFvatUePqwCLcB/s320/james-shaw-grant-robertson-600x373.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />The more the Green Party talks about economic policy the more it is perceived by some on the left as becoming mainstream and accepting neoliberal philosophies. <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&amp;objectid=11826337">Sue Bradford and the CTU have protested</a> that the agreed fiscal constraints <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/national/90775621/Labour-Greens-have-signed-up-to-a-joint-position-on-surpluses-cutting-debt">announced by Labour and the Greens</a> are a sellout and that the growing inequality in New Zealand won't be addressed under the proposed Budget Responsibility Rules. Many on the left are feeling uncomfortable that the business community and <a href="http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2017/03/hooray_for_labourgreen_budget_responsibility_rules.html">David Farrar</a> are praising the announcement.<br /><br />There is a widely held perception that National Governments constrain spending, and are therefore fiscally responsible, and Labour Governments spend large and accumulate debt. There is also another perception that to rectify the social inequalities in New Zealand, and address our environmental degradation, then fiscal restraints must be put to one side. Both perceptions display a good deal of economic ignorance.<br /><br />There are also some Green supporters who want to see the Party pushing for monetary reform to reduce the power of the banking industry and promote the introduction of systems like <a href="https://www.sovereignmoney.eu/what-is-sovereign-money">Sovereign Money</a>. While this may be philosophically sensible, it is politically impractical. Economic reform is not an election winner (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_Democratic_Party_for_Social_Credit">as Social Credit has consistently discovered</a>)&nbsp;as few voters understand economic theory to a level where they would comfortably embrace radical change.<br /><br />The Green Party has a holistic approach to economic decisions and supports the view that environmental, economic and social policy should be strongly interconnected. The <a href="https://home.greens.org.nz/policy/economic">Greens economic policy</a> is intended to deliver "...a resilient, flexible economy capable of adapting to new challenges, delivering meaningful work for our people and a healthier environment for us all". Working towards a fair and sustainable future is a key part of the vision.<br /><br />In 2013 Russel Norman supported National's Public Finance (Fiscal Responsibility) Amendment Bill because many of the provisions within it made good economic sense. His <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-G1QXlbPArM">supporting speech</a>&nbsp;is worth listening to in its entirety. <a href="http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2013/06/russel-explains-green-economics.html">His idea of extending the bill </a>to manage our social and environmental capital in the same way as our economic capital is sensible. To establish a sustainable economy, a government must live within its means and be future focused. The proposed budget management principles fits this approach.<br /><br />Those who regard the Green/Labour determination to pay off debt, and work towards budget surpluses, as neo-liberal concepts don't appreciate that being fiscally responsible is not something owned by the Right. The current National Government has never been fiscally responsible as it has increased government debt considerably, invested in unsustainable industries and spent billions on motorways that don't pass basic cost benefit analysis. Its reputation is a product of effective spin rather than reality.<br /><br />What is really important within any government budget is how revenue is generated and what the spending priorities are. Labour wants to review the current tax system and the Greens have been consistent in wanting policies and spending to be <a href="https://www.greens.org.nz/news/press-release/greens-cut-through-spin-independent-policy-costing-unit">independently costed</a>. Establishing a fairer tax system and sound processes for establishing new spending is essential. Increasing revenue can also be done within the existing system by diverting the energy used to hound beneficiaries to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/257185/economic-crime-costs-up-to-$9-point-4bn">chase tax fraudsters instead</a>&nbsp;(up to $10 billion of potential revenue), for example.<br /><br />The Greens support of a <a href="https://www.greens.org.nz/policy/cleaner-environment/2014-climate-protection-plan">carbon tax</a> and a capital gains tax will be at the forefront of any coalition discussions. Both will be important in shifting to a more sustainable economy and being more environmentally responsible. The home insulation scheme that the Greens established through an early MOU with National was a huge success with a <a href="http://www.healthyhousing.org.nz/research/past-research/evaluation-of-warm-up-new-zealand-heat-smart/">cost benefit ratio of almost 4:1</a>. Good social and environmental policy actually makes economic sense too.<br /><br />Reassurance that a Labour/Green Government won't launch into an irresponsible spending spree, as National will claim, is necessary to be elected in the current political environment. This is just a pragmatic consideration for becoming electable. Once in Government a shift in spending priorities away from corporate welfare, subsidising landlords and building unnecessary motorways will mean billions to reinvest into housing, health, welfare and education. The social, environmental and economic benefits will be enormous.bsprouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12428353657153292616noreply@blogger.com0